From World medallists to World record breakers, Scotland’s Para-Sport athletes have excelled in 2019. From an incredibly strong list of nominations, three major championship medallists have been named as finalists for Para-Sport Athlete of the Year at the 2019 Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards on 3 October.
Winners of this award last year, cycling duo Neil Fachie and Matt Rotherham are shortlisted again after gold and silver at the World Championships and are joined by sprinter Abbie McNally, double silver medallist at the World Junior Championships, and World record breaking swimmer Scott Quin. The finalists will go head to head for the prestigious award sponsored by sportscotland.
Neil Fachie with pilot Matt Rotherham successfully defended their World Championship title in the Tandem B Sprint, despite a spectacular crash at almost 75kmph on the final bend. After taking the win over GB team mates Ball and Mitchell in the first sprint, the pair just needed one more to be crowned world champions. But a crash temporarily left their title in doubt as both were helped from the track sporting visible injuries. The significant lead they held over their compatriots meant the commissaires awarded them the win as opposed to restarting the race giving Neil his 13th world title and his seventh in this event. Victory saw the pair reverse the result of the Kilo held the previous day where Neil and Matt took silver.
“2018 was a tough year to follow,” said Neil. “An incident packed World Champs for myself and Matt culminated in gold and silver, despite crashes and mishaps. It’s been another incredible year for sport in Scotland, particularly in para-sport. As such it is a tremendous honour to be nominated for this award.”
Abbie McNally only took up athletics four years ago and 2019 has been a breakthrough year on the international stage for the 18 year old. She competed in her first ever Para-Athletics Grand Prix in Italy, setting personal best times in both 100m and 200m, before being selected for the British team at the World Junior Para Athletics Championships in Switzerland, where she took silver in both sprint distances. She is a huge inspiration for others, acting as an ambassador for disability sport and regularly speaking to athletes and coaches, using her own experience and journey to motivate others.
Delighted to be named as a finalist, Abbie said: “I am very honoured to be shortlisted for such a prestigious award. Thank you to everyone for all the support I have had on my journey so far.”
Scott Quin showed fantastic early season form with a World record time at the British Para-Swimming International in April this year. The 2016 Paralympic silver medallist recorded a time of 1.05.28 for the SB14 100m Breaststroke, stripping a full second from his previous best time during the heats. He then posted another sub 66 second swim in the final to claim top spot and the gold medal in the event. Since nominations for the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards closed he has gone on to win silver at the recent World Para-Swimming Championships in London, replicating his result from the 2015 championships held in Glasgow.
“It’s an honour to be nominated in this category,” said Scott. “2018/2019 was a long season with the World Championships being rescheduled to September. But it has been a consistent season for me dropping my times in short course and long course competition. With Tokyo less than a year away I just want train hard and focus on my own process and be ready for Trials in April to try and qualify then hopefully after that set my sights on the Paralympic Games.”
Paul Bush, Chairman, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “Scotland’s para-sport athletes have thrilled and inspired over the past 12 months and our three finalists represent the absolute pinnacle of achievement. I look forward to celebrating their successes with them on what will be a memorable and inspirational night.”
Sponsor of the Para-Sport Athlete of the Year Award is sportscotland, the lead agency for the development of sport in Scotland. sportscotland’s mission is to build a world class sporting system for everyone in Scotland, making sport a way of life, placing it at the heart of society and making a positive impact on people and communities.
Winners across all award categories will be crowned at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards in a star-studded celebration of Scottish sport on 3 October at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
Three of Scotland’s brightest sporting prospects have been named as finalists for the Sir Peter Heatly Trophy and the title of Young Athlete of the Year at the 2019 Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards on 3 October.
All three have graced major championship podiums this year, with mountain biker Charlie Aldridge shortlisted alongside boxer Vicky Glover and swimmer Katie Shanahan. The trio are in the running to take the prestigious award sponsored by The Park Practice.
The future of Scottish sport looks to be in good hands with this one of the most difficult categories for our judges to choose a shortlist of just three from the many outstanding nominations received. Each of our finalists has stepped up this year to perform in style on the international stage, following in the footsteps of past winners such as World and Olympic medallists; swimmer Duncan Scott and cyclist Katie Archibald.
Charlie Aldridge was crowned the 2019 World Junior Champion in Cross-Country Mountain Bike, the first gold medal and rainbow jersey ever to be won by a British male in the cross-country discipline. Crowned European Youth champion in 2017, Charlie had already made history earlier in this year as he became the first British male to win a UCI Mountain Bike Junior Series event on foreign soil with victory in Germany. He finished 11 seconds clear of the field at the World Championships and after major shoulder surgery last winter his achievement is testament to his character and hard work to get back to fitness.
Following Vicky Glover’s appearance at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games she has continued to blaze a trail for Scottish women’s boxing, becoming one of the first three Scottish women to compete at a World Championships in November 2018. In March she won Scotland’s first ever female major championship boxing medal with European Under 22 bronze and continued her great year by winning gold at the GB Elite Championships in May.
“It’s brilliant to be nominated for this award,” said Vicky. “With the number of talented athletes in Scotland, I’m absolutely delighted to be short listed as a finalist.”
Katie Shanahan returned from the European Youth Olympic Festival in Baku as the most decorated British athlete across all sports with three individual gold, setting new championships records in all three events, and three silver medals in relay events. She also won 400m IM bronze at the European Junior Championships, setting a new British age group and Scottish junior record in the process. All the more impressive as she only turned 15 in June and has two more years as a junior swimmer.
Paul Bush, Chairman, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “The breadth and depth of nominations received for this award, and the wide range of sports represented, shows that the future of Scottish sport is in good hands. We have an incredibly strong line up in our three finalists who have delivered some truly outstanding results on the international stage. I congratulate them on their tremendous achievements over the past year and look forward to following their future successes.”
Sponsor of the Young Athlete of the Year Award is Glasgow based dental clinic The Park Practice, dental services supplier to Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018 and for the Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games. A former rugby player with GHK and Glasgow Hawks, principal dentist Mike Blackie started The Park Practice Dental Clinic in 1999. The practice has a holistic approach to its patients and has always had a high proportion of patients with sporting backgrounds. Over the years the team at The Park Practice has treated various trauma injuries in professional rugby players and have passionately encouraged rugby and hockey players, especially, to wear correctly fitted sports mouth guards.
Winners across all award categories will be crowned at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards in a star-studded celebration of Scottish sport on 3 October at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
After an incredible year of inspirational performances in women’s sport in Scotland, three major championship medallists have been named as finalists for Female Athlete of the Year at the 2019 Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards on 3 October.
Winner of this award in both 2017 and 2018, Laura Muir is named as a finalist for the third year running after double gold at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow. She is joined by shooting World Champion Seonaid McIntosh and World Judo Championships bronze medallist Sally Conway on a strong shortlist for the prestigious award sponsored by QTV Sports.
In March, at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Laura Muir completed an unprecedented ‘Double Double’ at the European Indoor Championships winning 1500m and 3000m gold to become the first athlete in history to successfully defend two titles. Her final lap in the 3000m was one of the moments of the championships as she left her rivals trailing in her wake. This year, Laura also rewrote the British Record books once again as she smashed the indoor mile mark with a superb run of 4.18.75, almost five seconds faster than Kirsty Wade’s record which had stood for 31 years, and well inside the Scottish Record held by Yvonne Murray. It was also the third fastest time of all-time for the mile indoors for women, with Laura’s 1500m split, at 4.01.83, also a new British Record, breaking her own mark for that distance.
“This past year has been such an important one for me in terms of having a major championship here in Scotland,” said Laura. “To win two European titles in front of a packed crowd at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow was so very special for me, and I’m delighted that it has brought joy to others and that this is reflected in the nomination for Female Athlete of the Year.”
With a perfect last shot of 10.9 in the 50m Rifle Prone final, Seonaid McIntosh made history last September by taking gold and becoming the first British woman ever to win an individual ISSF World Championship title. She also anchored Britain to their first ever team medal in this event and her 4th place in the Rifle 3 Positions event secured a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Quota Place for Team GB. In May she won silver in the 3P event at the World Cup in Munich, the first ever British medal in this event by a female athlete and in August was back on the World Cup podium in Rio de Janeiro with silver in the 10m Air Rifle. Three days later she took gold in the 50m Rifle 3P, the first ever World Cup Gold in a rifle event for a British female athlete since the World Cup circuit came into being in 1985. A rise to World and European No. 1 in the most recent rankings caps a fantastic year.
Delighted to be named as a finalist, Seonaid said: “I’ve had a really good season this year, both sporting and otherwise, and being shortlisted for this award is really the icing on the cake!”
Sally Conway won Great Britain’s first medal at the World Judo Championships in August 2019 in Tokyo, claiming bronze in the under 70kg category. Having missed out on the final, the 32-year-old went on to throw Austria’s Michaela Polleres for Ippon in the bronze medal match, to secure her first world medal. Sally has now won a medal at all major championships, having already made Olympic, European and Commonwealth podiums. As a result of a fantastic year she is currently in a qualifying spot for the Tokyo Olympics.
“I’m so happy to be a finalist for Team Scotland Female Athlete of the Year,” said Sally. “I really wasn’t expecting it at all and it’s very exciting to be nominated.”
Paul Bush, Chairman, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “All three finalists have thrilled and inspired over the past year with major championship medals and record-breaking performances. I congratulate them on their many successes and look forward to celebrating their achievements at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards on 3 October.”
The Female Athlete of the Year Award is sponsored by QTV Sports, one of the UK’s leading producers of sports content. Working with over fifty rights-holders in 25 countries, they deliver a range of production and digital content services, with partners including over a dozen international federations including cricket, hockey, archery, bowls and curling. They also pursue a local ambition to diversify coverage of Scottish sport and are well established as a broadcast and digital media partner in many Scottish sports, including badminton, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rugby, swimming, and tennis.
Winners across all award categories will be crowned at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards in a star-studded celebration of Scottish sport on 3 October at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
Three outstanding individuals have been named as finalists for Coach of the Year at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards, with Shelley Kerr (Football), Donald McIntosh (Shooting) and Andy Young (Athletics) in the running for the prestigious award sponsored by the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC).
While Scotland’s star athletes thrill and inspire on the international stage, their success would not be possible without the dedication and expert knowledge of their coaches behind the scenes.
In 2019, Shelley Kerr paved the way for a sea-change moment for women’s sport in Scotland – leading the Scotland Women’s National Team to an historic first appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Shelley said that she wanted her side to inspire a nation and with 6.1 million people watching the opening game against England alone, Shelley and her players more than accomplished that goal.
Delighted to be named as a finalist, Shelley said: “To be nominated for the Coach of the Year Award is a massive honour and one I’m incredibly thankful for. 2019 was a memorable year for women’s football as a whole in the country and there are so many people who have contributed to that. To have more than 18,000 at Hampden Park for our send-off match, against Jamaica just showed how far women’s football has come in a short space of time.
“The World Cup was an incredible experience and one we’ll all learn from. The players showed they belonged on that stage and the next challenge is to ensure we continue to qualify for these major events.”
Donald McIntosh coached daughters Jen and Seonaid to Women’s 50m Prone team bronze at the World Championships alongside Great Britain team mate Zoe Bruce, with Seonaid going on to win Britain’s first ever individual gold at this event with a perfect final shot. A fantastic year was capped by Seonaid also securing an Olympic quota place for Tokyo 2020, winning three World Cup medals, including a first ever rifle gold for Britain and rising to World No.1 in the 50m 3 Positions event rankings.
Also shortlisted as a finalist for this award in 2017, Donald said: “I’m honoured to be nominated once more for this award, and with so many superb coaches working across a number of sports in Scotland at the moment. Congratulations to all the other nominees and best of luck to them all!”
Andy Young is coach to world-class and Olympic athlete, Laura Muir as well as rising talent and GB International Jemma Reekie, Canadian international Gabriella Debues-Stafford and a host of other Scottish and GB international athletes. This year Laura cemented her reputation as one of the most formidable and fearless endurance athletes in the world by completing the double-double, defending her European Indoor titles over 800m and 1500m while Jemma’s progression has been remarkable, capped with the outstanding achievement of an 800m and 1500m double at the European U23 Championships. In addition, Gabriella has set five Canadian records for Garbiella in the past 8 months.
“It’s nice to recognised in your home country for the work you do,” said Andy. “While often in the background, coaches, especially those in individual sports, often play a huge role in the performance you see on your TV, so it’s good to have their success highlighted.”
Congratulating the three finalists, Paul Bush OBE, Chairman, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “Behind each of our international athletes is an outstanding coach, and our three finalists represent the pinnacle of achievement, guiding their athletes to not just inspirational, but truly historic results at the year’s major championships. Recognition at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards is just reward for their huge contribution and I look forward to celebrating with them on 3 October.”
Sponsor of the Coach of the Year award, the EICC is one of the world’s outstanding venues for conferences and events, welcoming over 1.3 million delegates since it first opened its doors in 1995. EICC has played host to the Team Scottish Sports Awards since 2016 and will once again be the venue as winners across all award categories are crowned in a star-studded celebration of Scottish sport on 3 October.
As the countdown continues to the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards 2019, our expert judging panel face a tough task in choosing the top performances of the year with Scots having already claimed podium spots at World and European events across an incredible array of sports.
Recognising outstanding achievement by those that put Scotland on the sporting map, 13 important award categories will be decided amidst a memorable night of inspiration and entertainment at the Awards in Edinburgh on 3 October.
Finalists for Community Hub, Club or School, Governing Body and Volunteer of the Year were announced last month and now it is the turn of those in the running for Male, Female, Para-Sport and Young Athlete of the Year, as well as the Team of the Year and Coach of the Year categories, after nominations closed on Sunday.
Coming from across the world of sport, with a range of backgrounds in volunteering, community sport, coaching, high performance and media, the nine-strong judging panel will be ready to use their experience and knowledge of the sporting environment in Scotland to decide the finalists and winners from the dozens of nominations received from across the country.
Chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland, Paul Bush OBE, leads a panel which also includes Michael Cavanagh OBE, CGS Chair during Team Scotland’s most successful Games to date at Glasgow 2014. Journalists Moira Gordon of The Scotsman & Scotland on Sunday and Susan Swarbrick of The Herald will lend the weight of their sporting knowledge alongside former First Minister for Scotland, Jack McConnell and five-time Commonwealth Games medallist, Jennifer Ross (nee McIntosh).
Adding their expertise to the panel are Director of High Performance at the sportscotland Institute of Sport, Mike Whittingham, Chief Executive Officer of Scottish Disability Sport, Gavin McLeod and Jaqueline Lynn, Head of School and Community Sport at sportscotland.
Delighted to be able to call on the knowledge of such a strong judging panel, Paul Bush OBE said: “I am thrilled to be working with some of the most respected names in their fields as we embark on the search for the best of the best across Scottish sport. The Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards is a wonderful celebration of the dedication, commitment and talent that goes into the performances that inspire the nation and it is vitally important to choose judges with wide reaching experience across high performance, grassroots and community sport.”
Meet the judging panel on our dedicated page.
The Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards will take place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) on Thursday 3 October with Team Scotland stars past, present and future, along with leaders of sport and business on the 600-strong guest list.
For more information on the 2019 Awards, or to book your place, visit: www.teamscotland.scot/events/team-scotland-sports-awards/
Scotland’s second most successful Commonwealth Games sport, with 75 medals won, Athletics has been a core sport on the Games programme since they began in 1930. From the highest number of medals won to record performances and historic firsts, here are just some of the highlights from almost 90 years years of Team Scotland medal success.
Edinburgh 1970 – Golden Quartet on Home Soil
Rosemary Stirling, Ian Stewart, Lachie Stewart and Rosemary Payne struck gold in front of a home crowd at Meadowbank Stadium for four athletics victories, a gold medal tally that has never been matched. Stirling won 800m gold with a beautifully timed sprint finish, just three hundredths of a second ahead of England’s Pat Lowe and less than a tenth ahead of bronze medallist Cheryl Peasley of Australia. Ian Stewart led home a Scottish one-two in the 5,000m as Ian McCafferty took silver after an incredible final lap which saw the two Scots leave Kenya’s Kip Keino in their wake in the closing stages. Scotland’s golden quartet was completed by Rosemary Payne in the Discus, her husband, Howard, making it a family double with Hammer gold for England.
Jim Alder, having won gold and bronze four years earlier in Kingston, completed his set of Commonwealth Games medals with silver in the Marathon and the medal tally was rounded out by bronze medals for Moira Walls in the High Jump and for Bill Sutherland in the 20 Miles Walk. This was the first Games ever to be measured in metric rather than imperial units. Several records were broken including a world record for Jamaica’s Marilyn Neufville as she won 400m gold in 51.02.
London 1934 – First Female Medallists Add to Ten-Medal Tally
A highlight of the 1934 Games was the inclusion of events for women in athletics, with careful consideration given not to include events that were considered ‘too exhaustive’. The running events were restricted to the short sprints and shortened relays instead of the 4 x 440 yard relay as per the men’s programme. Events on the field were high jump, long jump and javelin. Nevertheless this was a breakthrough for women in sport that would one day lead to full recognition and programming for women’s athletics on the international stage.
Cathie Jackson, Joan Cunningham, Margaret Mackenzie & Sheena Dobbie capitalised, winning Scotland’s first women’s athletics medal with bronze in the 660 yards Relay. Frank Hunter’s 440yds Hurdles gold led a 10 medal tally for the Scots – the best ever athletics total, and not tied until Brisbane 1982. Donald Robertson and Duncan Wright won Marathon silver and bronze respectively and there was a string of bronze medals for Ian Young (100 yards), John Mitchie (High Jump), William Mackenzie (Hammer), James Stothard (880 yards) and both men’s 4 x 110 yards and 4 x 440 yards Relay teams.
Brisbane 1982 – Wells’ Golden Double Leads Top Tally
Athletics led the Scottish medal charge in Brisbane with a record-equalling 10 medals including three gold courtesy of a sprint double from Allan Wells and victory in the Women’s Discus for Meg Ritchie. Reigning Commonwealth and Olympic champion, Wells continued his dominance, his win in the 100m seeing him nearly dip under the 10 second barrier followed by a dead heat in the 200m with England’s Mike McFarlane, while Ritchie was also in a class of her own with a Games record to seal discus gold.
Anne Clarkson bravely won 800m silver despite two broken ribs, whilst Scotland’s sprint dominance in Athletics was shown by Cameron Sharp’s bronze in both the 100m and 200m and the Men’s 4x100m Relay team who won bronze to follow their 1978 gold. The Women’s 4x400m Relay team also came away with a bronze to match.
Ritchie was not the only success on the field with bronze medals won in the Pole Vault by Graham Eggleton and in the Hammer by Chris Black.
Auckland 1990 – McColgan Defends 10,000m Title
Liz McColgan’s win in the 10,000m was Scotland’s only gold medal on the track in Auckland as she became the first Scottish woman ever to successfully defend a Commonwealth Games title in Athletics. This historic victory, almost 10 second clear of silver medallist Jill Hunter of England, came four days after winning bronze in the 3,000m, just behind team mate Yvonne Murray who improved on her bronze in the same event from 1986. Murray would go on to keep the 10,000m title in Scottish hands at the next Games in Victoria, completing her full set of Commonwealth Games medals.
In the men’s events there was silver for Mark Davidson, David Strang, Tom McKean and Brian Whittle in the 4 x 400m Relay behind a Games record breaking run from Kenya, while Geoff Parsons took bronze in the High Jump, tying with Milton Ottey of Canada.
Gold Coast 2018 – Highest Athletics Medal Tally for 24 Years
Despite the early start to the competitive season, there were good performances from the Scottish team and, with five medals, Athletics celebrated their biggest medal tally since 1990. Beth Potter, selected primarily for Triathlon, also competed in the 10,000m on the track, marking a historic first.
Hammer thrower, Mark Dry led the way, replicating his bronze medal winning feat from Glasgow 2014 with his final throw. Flag bearer Eilidh Doyle took a third successive silver medal over the 400m Hurdles, while there was also silver for 18-year-old Maria Lyle in the para-sport Women’s T35 100m on her Commonwealth Games debut. Jake Wightman was the final medallist on the track, bouncing back from the agony of a fourth place finish in the Men’s 1500m, with bronze in the 800m. There were also two near misses for Samantha Kinghorn. She finished fourth in the para-sport Women’s 1500m T54 on the track and again she came agonisingly close with another fourth place in the Women’s Wheelchair Marathon T54.
However, there was final day drama and contrasting fortunes for Scotland’s two Marathon men. There was on outpouring of concern and well wishes for long-time leader Callum Hawkins, as he succumbed to the heat with just a mile to go, while teammate Robbie Simpson came through to claim bronze and secure Team Scotland’s final medal of the Games.
The Scottish public have come out in force to help finalise the shortlists for the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards 2019 and, with nominations closing on 1 September, now is the time to make sure your choice gets the recognition they deserve.
Scotland’s sporting stars have thrilled and inspired throughout the year across an impressive array of sports and we are now searching for the year’s top performers for Male Athlete, Female Athlete, Para-Sport Athlete, Young Athlete, Coach and Team of the Year.
If you haven’t already nominated, time is running out! Make sure you nominate by 23:59 on Sunday 1 September and help us find Scotland’s top sporting performers of the year.
Once nominations close, those in the running will be passed to our expert judging panel and up to three finalists in each category will be short-listed and invited as guests of Team Scotland to the Awards – a star-studded celebration of Scottish sport on Thursday 3 October 2019.
Inspirational finalists have already been announced in three community categories – meet the finalists by clicking on the category name below:
Hub, Club or School of the Year
Join Us
The Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards welcome some of the biggest names in Scottish Sport and business for a special evening of sporting celebrations. Guests are in for a treat this year as we celebrate sporting greats of the past alongside our current stars, whilst enjoying a drinks reception, dinner and entertainment. The event also gives back to the next generation with a major aim of the evening raising funds for the Team Scotland Youth Trust who support Scotland’s starts of the future.
Join us at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards – book online on our Awards Tickets page or contact us on Tel: 01786 466 480 or Email: info@teamscotland.scot
Recognised for their success in driving participation, development and performance at all levels of Scottish sport, three organisations have been shortlisted for the title of Governing Body of the Year at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards on Thursday 3 October 2019.
Selected by the judging panel from a strong list of candidates, Cricket Scotland are shortlisted for this award for the third year running and take their place alongside fellow 2018 finalists Scottish Disability Sport and two-time winners Scottish Athletics.
Cricket Scotland have had a stand-out year with both men’s and women’s national sides ranked 11th in the world – the men returning from the middle east with two trophies and five of Scotland’s senior women selected for the International Women’s Global Development Team, the highest representation of any nation. A successful bid for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2019 Global Qualifier tournament means international women’s cricket is on show this month in Dundee, while 10-year deal has been agreed with an Indian promoter on a multi-million-dollar domestic T20 tournament to include the world’s top players in six city-based franchises spanning Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands.
Cricket Scotland’s community engagement programmes have reached new heights with Project Glasgow, recently the subject of a sportscotland case study, engaging with hundreds of underprivileged children, record numbers joining the entry level programme Allstars Cricket and the exciting initiative CricHIIT, created specifically to attract women and girls into the sport, winning a global award at the International Cricket Council Annual Conference.
Malcolm Cannon, CEO at Cricket Scotland said: “It has been an incredible journey for Cricket Scotland over the last few years, meeting both triumph and setbacks along the way. However, the organisation has gone from strength to strength and now represents a hugely diverse community throughout Scotland. With a passionate and committed workforce and an excellent volunteer base, and from community engagement projects, through grassroots domestic cricket, to the successes on the field of our men’s, women’s and age-group sides, the organisation is pushing at all the boundaries. We are delighted and honoured to have had our efforts recognised by once more by being short-listed for this prestigious award, particularly given the nature and scale of the competition.”
With an incredible 56 Scottish records broken in 2019 to date, Scottish Athletics continue to excel in terms of performance. Last summer a record 17 Scots competed at the European Championships, bring home five medals, followed by seven medals from seven athletes at the World Para Athletics European Championships. A record five medals for Scottish athletes at the 2019 European Indoor Championships in Glasgow, including a historic double-double for Laura Muir, has been followed by the second highest Scottish representation at the European Junior Championships for almost half a century, Jacob Adkin winning European Mountain Racing gold and Jemma Reekie making history as the first British athlete ever to win double gold at the European U23 Championships.
In the past year scottishathletics have become the first governing body of sport in the world to create a competition pathway for 3rd gender athletes, have trained over 600 coaches in mental health through their partnership with SAMH and launched a National Club Development Framework for Scottish clubs. With membership up 9% on 2018 and over 120,000 participants in licenced events, participation is booming and a new competition and coaching partnership with the German region, Baden-Wurttemberg will give aspiring young athletes and their coaches valuable experience as they progress towards elite level.
Mark Munro, CEO at Scottish Athletics said: “We are delighted that scottishathletics has been short listed for the National Governing Body of the Year Award for 2019 at the Team Scotland Awards. It is always great honour and privilege to be short listed for these awards and recognises another phenomenal year, not only in global medal terms but across all areas of the sport. It also recognises the efforts, skill levels and success of our army of volunteers on the ground that make the sport happen 365 days of the year. I would also like to congratulate the other NGBs short listed and wish them all the best on the night”.
Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) leads the way in the inclusion of disabled athletes and players across a wide range of sports. In the last year SDS has actively supported 37 Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport to facilitate inclusion, establishing robust sporting pathways, and have also supported all 32 Scottish local authorities to engage disabled people in sport. SDS has also led over 100 education opportunities in the past 12 months, organised five regional para-sport festivals and delivered engagement days for water sports, wheelchair curling and multi-sports for participants with a visual impairment. A co-ordinated series of sport specific championships across eight sports attracted 1,855 participants. Their partnership with the Celtic FC Foundation has delivered the “Inspiring Sport” programme which has supported over 1,500 individuals to attend clubs, sessions, courses and events across Scotland.
SDS is also the lead body for the sport of Boccia in Scotland with Scottish players continuing their success on the international stage. At the 2019 World Open in Hong Kong, Stephen McGuire won BC4 individual gold and pairs bronze and Patrick Wilson won BC3 individual silver. Reegan Stevenson won BC1/2 Team gold on his Great Britain debut at the European Open in Croatia and Scott McCowan won BC3 individual bronze in the same event.
Gavin McLeod, Chief Executive at Scottish Disability Sport said: “Scottish Disability Sport is delighted to be shortlisted for this prestigious award. SDS works in partnership with many Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport to ensure the effective inclusion of disabled athletes and players. We thank them all for their commitment and support and wish all those shortlisted every success.”
Paul Bush OBE, Chairman, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “In what was a very strong list of nominations, our three finalists stood out for their commitment to the development of their respective sports, particularly with regards to providing new opportunities for athletes, coaches and officials through innovative partnership working. The work of governing bodies is key to the whole Scottish sporting system and we look forward to celebrating their achievements at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards.”
Winners across all award categories will be crowned at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards in a star-studded celebration of Scottish sport on 3 October at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
Recognised for their extraordinary dedication to their local communities, three of Scotland’s top performing sporting initiatives have been named as finalists for Community Hub, Club or School of the Year at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards on 3 October.
Awarded to the Community Sport Hub, Club or School which has made the most progress and impact on their community over the last year, the award attracted dozens of nominations across a wide range of sporting pursuits and from every region of Scotland. Impressing the judges with their innovation and ambition, Dundee Dragons Wheelchair Sports Club, Edinburgh Athletics Club and St Madoes Active Sport Hub will now go head to head for the top award supported by Active Scotland.
Dundee Dragons offers participation, development and competitive opportunities for people with a disability, including wheelchair basketball and rugby league, badminton, tennis and curling. The variety of sports on offer gives opportunities for individuals to learn new skills, meet new people, increase confidence and improve health and fitness, as well as compete in local, national and international events. The club were finalists in both plate and cup competitions at the Rugby Football League Challenge Cup, the first Scottish club to do so. They have also had several members on international duty across several sports, Mike Mellon winning two silver and a bronze at the Invictus Games just one of the highlights. Coach development is also key with several club members taking on coach or team manager roles for Scotland and Great Britain teams at international events.
Working in partnership with Leisure and Culture Dundee, Dundee City Disability Sport and Perth & Kinross Disability Sport, the club supports the local community, providing taster sessions in local mainstream schools as well as bringing wheelchair sports to ASN schools in both Dundee and Perth. They have heavily supported the Scottish Disability Sport Parasport Festival in Tayside and the NHS Fit Club, where young people with a physical disability experience sport for the first time.
Dr Elizabeth Ferris, Chair of Dundee Dragons said: “We are honoured to be shortlisted in the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards. It’s a testament to the hard work of our players, coaches, parents and volunteers whose contribution to the Dragon’s family is immeasurable”
Edinburgh AC are one of the largest and most successful athletics clubs in Scotland and the United Kingdom – they have over 560 athlete members and 85 active volunteers. With their main training base closed for major refurbishment, the Club have overcome the challenges of being split across multiple temporary training venues and continued to strive forward and develop. The club’s membership has grown by a further 12%, in the last 12 months, with new satellite sections being established, helping to engage a waiting list of almost 100 young athletes and providing regular links to schools.
At the European Athletics Championships in August 2018, Edinburgh AC had a phenomenal five athletes representing Great Britain and over the last 12 months the club have had 13 different athletes representing Great Britain, 33 athletes representing Scotland and club athletes setting 10 National records. The senior women’s team currently compete in the premier division of the UK Women’s League, the only Scottish club to do so, and at junior level the club reached UK finals in both U13 & U15 and U17 & U20 age groups. The club’s athlete membership is inclusive and consists of a large proportion of female athletes, athletes with a disability, involves members from diverse communities across Edinburgh and athletes from aged nine to over 80 years old. To deliver this programme the club have 50 active coaches and over 30 active officials – the largest contingent of any club in Scotland.
Gary Leek, Head of Communications at Edinburgh Athletics Club said:, “To be a finalist in the Team Scotland Awards is a proud moment for the club which has pulled together, working hard led by a great team of volunteers, the board, coaches, officials, sub group leaders and families. Together Everyone Achieves More and this has proven to be the club’s successful formula. For athletics to be up at the very pinnacle with other sports in Scotland is a huge achievement and the future is looking very bright from playground to podium at Edinburgh Athletic Club. We thank everyone for their continued support.”
St Madoes Active Sports Hub has grown rapidly since its inception in September 2017, now providing preschool classes, daily after-school sports, classes for teens, daytime classes for older adults, fitness & sports classes and mums’ return to exercise activities for over 400 participants a week. The Hub builds sport and fitness into many social and community groups and provides opportunities to the local community not available before. They have provided the first pre-school sport activities in the area, have over 60 participants age 70 or older taking part weekly and have introduced table tennis and other activities into their support group for people with Alzheimer’s. A Boccia group has also been formed this year and now has a thriving membership of all ages, with both able bodied and people with varied disabilities attending
Development of participants’ skills and the skills of volunteers is a key part of the Hub, with volunteers completing a wide range of coaching and leadership qualifications. Young volunteers are encouraged to develop with many regularly coaching and 25 young people engaged in the organisation of four community sport events. The Hub also has strong partnerships with Perth & Kinross Council, sportscotland, Live Active and local primary schools, with individuals regularly referred to the Hub through Council or NHS employees.
Anthea Bircham, Community Development Coordinator at St Madoes Active Sports Hub said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted because we want to celebrate the achievements of our participants, without the hub they wouldn’t have taken part in sport. As numbers have increased, we have seen those who are involved grow in both fitness and confidence. We are proud of our ability to include people of all ages and we love to see people overcoming barriers and taking part together. We want to acknowledge our dedicated partners who work with us to make a programme with ‘something for everyone’ possible.”
Paul Bush OBE, Chair, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “Community Hubs, clubs and schools sit right at the heart of Scottish sport, hugely benefiting their local communities in terms of health and well-being as well as providing a clear path into recreational and competitive sport. The phenomenal dedication of our finalists to their communities deserves recognition and they should be rightly proud of their achievements over the past year.”
The Community Hub, Club or School of the Year award is supported by The Scottish Government’s Active Scotland Division, whose aims include encouraging and enabling an active lifestyle for all, supporting well-being and resilience in communities and improving opportunities to participate, progress and achieve in sport.
Winners across all categories will be crowned at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards in a star-studded celebration of Scottish sport on 3 October at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has announced the addition of Beach Volleyball, Women’s Cricket and Para Table Tennis to the sports programme for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The announcement sees Beach Volleyball return for a second Games after a successful debut at Gold Coast 2018, where Team Scotland’s men’s and women’s pairings both reached the quarter-final stage.
Birmingham 2022 will mark a Games debut for Women’s Cricket in the T20 format, with the sport’s only appearance to date being a men’s One Day format competition at the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur in which Scotland were represented. Eight teams will compete at Birmingham’s iconic Edgbaston Stadium. This adds to a strong female sports programme which, as it stands, will see two more women’s medal events than men’s at the Games, with 135 compared to 133. There are currently seven mixed events, with the confirmed event programme to be announced next year.
It marks the first time in history that a major multi-sport event will feature more women’s than men’s medal events.
Para Table Tennis has been included in four of the last five Commonwealth Games with a Women’s Wheelchair Singles event in 2002, 2006 and 2010 and Men’s and Women’s TT6-10 Singles events in 2018. With the inclusion of Para Table Tennis, the Games will have more para sports on the programme at a Commonwealth Games than ever before, with eight para sports now confirmed for the multi-sport competition.
The sport programme for Birmingham 2022 now includes 19 sports, the highest number of any Games to date. The full list of sports on the programme is: Aquatics, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Cricket, Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Judo, Lawn Bowls, Netball, Rugby 7s, Squash, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Weightlifting and Wrestling.