McCraw and Gillan win trebles at National Championships 

Michael McCraw and Diane Gillan were both treble winners in the Division 1 events for players with a learning disability at the inaugural Scottish National Disability Championships in this form, held at the Dalkeith Campus on Saturday 26 January. 

McCraw finished ahead of James Pert in the singles, before teaming up with Kevin Dobson to beat Dean Bernard and James McNeil in the final of the men’s doubles. Gillan beat Kerry Duncan to the top spot on the podium in the women’s singles and battled to a hard-fought doubles title with Hazel Irvine, beating Duncan and Emma Stewart 21-19 17-21 21-9 in the final. McCraw and Gillan then teamed up to win the mixed, winning all their matches to top the group with Bernard and Irvine taking the silver medal. 

The winners of the men’s singles divisions 2, 3 and 4 for players with a learning disability were James McNeil, Gregor Hardie and Nathan Boyle respectively, while Emma Stewart won the women’s singles division 2. Boyle and Alastair Daniels won the division 2 men’s doubles and Edward Hagerty and Emma Stewart won the division 2 mixed title. 

Grant Allen beat Richard Lean 21-13 21-17 in the final of the SL3-SU5 men’s singles and Lean also won the SL4 men’s singles, beating David Purdie into second place. Colin Leslie beat Logan Welsh 21-11 21-12 to win the SL3 men’s singles and Mary Wilson beat Lesley Johnstone 21-7 21-7 to win the SL4 women’s singles. Leslie and Lean won the SL3-SU5 combined doubles with Allen and Purdie finishing second, and Leslie also won the SL3-SU5 mixed doubles with Wilson, while Lean and Tracey Thomson were runners up. 

In the SS6 events Bobby Laing beat Andrew Davies 21-12 21-18 in the final of the men’s singles before they teamed up to win the men’s doubles, with Ross Foley and Jack Purvis runners-up. 

Fiona Christie won the combination wheelchair singles, beating Anthony Stott in the final 21-7 21-10 but Stott got his own back in the doubles when he and David Birtles beat Christie and Duncan Taylor 13-21 21-14 21-19 in the final. 

A total of 100 matches were played over 21 events and we would like to thank the University of Edinburgh for providing the scorers and the Lothian Disability Badminton Club committee for their unstinting support throughout.  

These championships have been three years in the making and is a true representation of partnership working between Scottish Disability Sport, Badminton Scotland and Lothian Disability Badminton Club. Thanks to Lyndon Williams who was instrumental in getting this event to this stage, David Gillespie and Alistair and Roselind Hall who provided invaluable organisation prior to and during the event.  

Full results are here.