FROM THE FAR EAST TO THE WEST OF SCOTLAND FOR TOP SCOTS

Fastest growing sport continues to develop

The listing was posted by Scottish Disability - Boccia

Stephen and Peter McGuire from South Lanarkshire returned from a training camp in the Far East to compete in the Scottish Boccia Championships at Easterhouse Centre in Glasgow.  The talented young West of Scotland boccia players were part of a strong Great Britain squad preparing for the Paralympics in Beijing in 2008.  The camp experience was a great success and the youngsters demonstrated the quality of their play by finishing first and second respectively in the combined BC1/BC2/BC4 class.  Stephen had the edge on this occasion but the quality of their play left the spectators in no doubt why these young Scots are included in the GB squad.

 

38 competitors overall took part in the National Championships of 2007.  The senior numbers were down but event organiser, Jacqueline Lynn, was delighted with the large entry of juniors.  Next year she plans to create two junior sections, one for boccia players with a physical disability and another for boccia players with a learning disability.  Another highlight of this year’s championships was the involvement of a Forth Valley team for the first time.

 

Scotland’s greatest ever boccia player Anne Woffinden retired from competitive boccia after Athens and moved from Scotland to settle with her husband in Denmark.  This was a great blow to the sport North of the Border and the recent retirement of the talented Bernadette Leslie has also left a gap which hopefully some of the emerging young players will eventually fill. 

 

One of these emerging youngsters is Kristin McMaster.  Kirsten opted this year to compete in the senior event and was delighted with her fourth place finish.  Young Scot McCowan from Ayrshire was identified as a young player with potential at the SDS Summer Camp and he confirmed that promise with a third place in the junior competition.  The 2007 Scottish team will be identified following the results at the championships and players invited to attend the training sessions which are held on the last Sunday of every month at the University of Stirling. 

 

The Easterhouse Centre has become a popular venue for the national championships.  The players appreciate the surroundings and the quality of the playing courts.  Apart from the McGuire brothers the championship titles were won by Christ Elliot, Paisley (BC3), Martin Cassidy, Dundee (Junior) and Stuart Gurney, West Lothian (Junior Plate).

 

Boccia is recognised as one of the fastest growing sports within the International Paralympic programme.  It is truly played worldwide.  Standards within the sport increase year on year.  Traditionally Scottish teams have always played extremely well at international level as a team and individual Scots have performed well within GB teams.  As the sport moves beyond 2008 and Beijing there are hopes that new Scots will emerge and challenge for places in the GB team for London in 2012.

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