Meet 17 year old boxer Megan Gordon, recently selected to represent Team Scotland at the Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in July.
When she steps into the ring at Bahamas 2017, Megan will become the first female boxer in history to represent Team Scotland at any Commonwealth Games event. Megan is the Scottish Youth Champion and narrowly missed out on adding the British Youth title, having to settle for silver on a split decision in the final.
So, how does it feel to be a trail-blazer in Scottish women’s Boxing? We asked Megan how she got started, what it means to be part of Team Scotland and what advice she would give to other girls looking to take up the sport:
Congratulations on becoming part of Team Scotland 2017, what are you most looking forward to about the Youth Games?
Thank you! I’m looking forward to a lot of things about the Commonwealth Youth Games, especially going in there and representing my country in a place as beautiful as the Bahamas. I’m also looking forward to being with Team Scotland and meeting other athletes who compete at a high level, and getting a lot of experience in the week as I could have five bouts over there.
What does it mean to be the first ever female athlete to represent Team Scotland in Boxing at any Commonwealth Games?
I’m still a bit shocked! I feel honoured and ready to do everyone proud, doing what I love. Hopefully I’ll impress and get selected for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
How did you get in to Boxing?
My dad is the head coach of the club I go to, but he wouldn’t let me start as I was a bit of a chubby kid, as well as very soft and girly. I watched one of our club’s Home Show events and liked what I saw. I asked dad if I could start and he said no, so I kept pestering constantly. He finally made a deal with me that, if I trained with him at home for three months, then I could start at the club. I did that and now I’ve been boxing for five and a half years. I’m glad he did that though as it made me learn that I had to work for it, just like you do in the ring.
What do you love about your sport?
I love a lot about Boxing, it really has changed me as a person. The adrenaline rushes, the moment you step in the ring, and of course the times you get your hand raised. I also love how it’s a mixture between an individual sport and a team sport. When you get in that ring it’s just you, but beforehand at training and in sparring you need your team to bring you on at training and they are always good support.
Give us one interesting fact that we might not know about Boxing?
You learn and develop so much more from a loss. It took me a while to learn this, but you keep watching back the video and seeing what you did wrong and how that could be improved. You start to work on your weaknesses and turn them into strengths.
What does your training schedule look like ahead of the Youth Games?
It looks pretty busy, but that’s what I like! I have a few training camps at the High Performance Centre in Glasgow, a 10 day training camp in Belfast, strength and conditioning at the sportscotland Institute of Sport. I’ve also got training in my own club – Elgin Boxing Club – and at home with dad.
What piece of advice would you give to other girls thinking of taking up Boxing?
Don’t be intimidated about being the only girl in the gym. I’ve always been the only girl in my gym and I ensure you that, after a few weeks, they will start treating you just as a boxer. It will also change you for the better as a person; in confidence, lifestyle, health and fitness. Also, getting hit in the face ain’t that bad – as long as you catch them back twice as hard!
Megan will represent Team Scotland in the 51kg category at Bahamas 2017, which takes place from 18-23 July. We wish her all the best with her training and look forward to seeing her making history in the Bahamas!
Find out more about Megan in her Athlete Profile and about Team Scotland’s past success in Boxing at the Commonwealth Youth Games on our Youth Games Boxing page.
As part of Team Scotland’s build up to the Youth Games, we’re featuring each sport on the programme with articles, interviews and more. Keep checking the Team Scotland website for more on Boxing and the other sports at Bahamas 2017 and look for #CYGSportFocus on our social media channels.
Edinburgh’s Oriam is set to host the highlight of the Netball Scotland club competition calendar, as the Team Scotland Series continues with the Scottish Netball Finals on Saturday 3 June.
With almost all athlete who represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games having come through their sport’s National Championships, the Team Scotland Series is a ground-breaking collaboration bringing together Scottish Championship events across 13 Commonwealth Games sports. Part of Team Scotland’s work to support member sports and champion the ongoing success of Scots on the national and international sporting stage, it aims to bring these domestic events to a wider audience, inspiring more Scots to excel.
On Saturday, Scotland’s top club sides will battle it out in the finals of the Scottish Cup, Scottish Youth Cup and Evelyn Beattie Quaich competitions, with the winners crowned Scottish Champions.
East Kilbride are out to defend the Scottish Cup title they took last year in a battle with Glasgow South Saltires. This year’s East Kilbride side defeated Saltires in the semi-final and will take on ENC Onyx in the 2017 final.
Kelvin Netball Club are also reigning title holders after lifting the Evelyn Beattie Quaich in 2016. In an all-Glasgow final on Saturday, Kelvin meet Bellahouston Blaze, who reached the finals with a win over Aberdeen Nets.
The Scottish Youth Cup will see Scotland’s stars of the future take to the court in the U13, U15 and U17 age-groups. Peebles, last year’s winners in the U15 Youth Cup and runner-up in the U13 category, are finalists in both age groups once again.
Hosted at Netball Scotland’s partner facility Oriam, the event returns to the east of the country for the first time in over three decades. After record spectator numbers in 2016, Scotland’s top club players are looking for your support as they go for Scottish Cup glory.
Tickets can be purchased on the door at £5 for adults and £3 for concessions.
Event Schedule (Doors open at 9am):
Evelyn Beattie Quaich (9.30am) Bellahouston Blaze v Kelvin
U13 Youth Cup (11.15am) – Perth & Kinross v Peebles Rockets
U15 Youth Cup (12.35pm)- Peebles Pulse v G84 Pressure
U17 Youth Cup (2.05pm)- Avon v Holyrood Celts
Scottish Cup (3.50pm) – East Kilbride v ENC Onyx
For full information, including venue map visit the Scottish Netball Finals event page.
Meet boxer Lewis Johnstone, recently selected to represent Team Scotland at the Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in July.
Lewis is a multiple Scottish and British age-group champion and represented Scotland at the 2015 World Junior Championships. He is a also a double European Junior Championship bronze medallist, reaching the podium in both 2015 and 2016. Lewis has also had a great start to 2017 with silver at the GB Three Nations Youth Championships and performed brilliantly in his international Youth debut with a bronze medal at the 2017 Pavlyukov Multi-Nation Tournament in Russia, commonly dubbed the ‘Youth World Cup’.
We asked Lewis more about himself and how he’s feeling about representing Team Scotland on the other side of the world:
Congratulations on becoming part of Team Scotland 2017, what are you most looking forward to about the Youth Games?
I’m looking forward to representing my country in a multi-sport event for the first time, especially with the Commonwealth Games being such a popular competition.
When did you get in to Boxing?
I’ve always been about in the boxing gym because my dad was a coach. I was about 10 before I started competing.
What’s the one thing you love about your sport?
The opportunities it’s given me to travel the world are amazing and I can’t wait to experience the Bahamas this summer.
Give us one interesting fact that we might not know about Boxing?
Most people don’t know that, in amateur tournaments, you have to fight up to five times for the gold medal.
How is your schedule shaping up ahead of the Youth Games?
I will train three times a day, as well as going to Scotland training sessions. This will include a multi-nation training camp in Ireland in the weeks before the Youth Games.
Lewis will represent Team Scotland in the 81kg category at Bahamas 2017, which takes place from 18-23 July. We wish him all the best with his preparation and look forward to seeing him in the ring in the Bahamas!
Find out more about Lewis in his Athlete Profile and about Team Scotland’s past success in Boxing at the Commonwealth Youth Games on our Youth Games Boxing page.
As part of Team Scotland’s build up to the Youth Games, we’re featuring each sport on the programme with articles, interviews and more. Keep checking the Team Scotland website for more on Boxing and the other sports at Bahamas 2017 and look for #CYGSportFocus on our social media channels.
As part of Team Scotland’s countdown to the Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in July, we will be featuring each of the seven sports in which Scottish athletes will be competing.
Next up in our Sport Focus is Boxing, the only sport in which Team Scotland has won medals at every single Commonwealth Games since they began in 1930. Team Scotland boxers have also won medals at every Youth Games in which the sport has been included.
Look out for all things Boxing on the Team Scotland website and social media channels over the coming week as we highlight the sport through news articles, interviews and a wealth of Boxing facts and figures.
Take a tour through Scotland’s success in Commonwealth Games Boxing, read up on the rules and events and browse the Boxing specific photo galleries on our dedicated Boxing page.
Team Scotland 2017
Team Scotland has selected nine boxers for the Bahamas 2017 Youth Games, including Megan Gordon, the first female boxer ever to represent Scotland at a Commonwealth Games event, as well as Sam Hickey and Lewis Johnstone, both medallists at last year’s European Junior Championships.
View the full Bahamas 2017 team.
Team Scotland will compete in Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Cycling, Judo, Swimming and Tennis at the Bahamas 2017 Youth Games which take place in Nassau from 18-23 July.
You can show your support by uploading photos and messages on our supporters page and give Team Scotland’s athletes a boost as they prepare for one of the biggest competitions of their career to date!
The Commonwealth Youth Games
The Commonwealth Youth Games concept was created by Scotland as a development opportunity to give athletes under 18 years of age an international multi-sport Games experience. It aims to bridge the gap between young athletes competing in their own sports specific events and the often challenging first experience of a senior Commonwealth Games.
The first Youth Games were held in Edinburgh in 2000 as part of Scotland’s Millennium celebrations. Athletes from 14 countries competed in Edinburgh and the event quickly proved to be a great success. The Youth Games now attracts entries from all 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth and has been the introduction to multi-sport Games for a host of international stars.
Find out more about the Commonwealth Youth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Youth Games section.
With 50 days to go until the sixth Commonwealth Youth Games open in Nassau, Bahamas, Commonwealth Games Scotland is delighted to announce the 41 athletes who have been selected to represent Team Scotland at their first international multi-sport Games.
The athletes, aged between 15 and 18 years, will compete for Scotland from 18-23 July in seven of the nine sports on the Bahamas 2017 programme: Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Cycling, Judo, Swimming and Tennis.
The concept of the Youth Games was created by Scotland in 2000 with the aim of developing young athletes and giving them an early experience of an international multi-sport environment. The event now has a proven track record of uncovering future champions at senior level, with 35 athletes selected for Glasgow 2014 having competed in Youth Games over recent years including medallists Charlie Flynn, Josh Taylor, Daniel Keatings, Hannah Miley and Lynsey Sharp.
The last Youth Games in Samoa in 2015 also created a number of potential future stars who are aiming for selection for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games next year. Boxers John Docherty and Sean Lazzerini both struck gold in Samoa and recently took Scottish Elite Championship titles in their bid for Gold Coast qualification, while lawn bowler Carla Banks is included in Bowls Scotland’s High Performance Squad from which the Gold Coast team will be selected later this year.
The Bahamas 2017 Youth Games will see a number of firsts, with Judo, Team Scotland’s most successful sport at Glasgow 2014, making its Commonwealth Youth Games debut. Six Scottish judoka will step up to the challenge, including British Cadet Champion and Matsumae Cup gold medallist, Louis Saez.
Beach Volleyball is also included for the first time ahead of its Commonwealth Games debut at Gold Coast 2018, with Emma Waldie and Jennifer Lee selected for Team Scotland, who were both part of the Scottish indoor volleyball team that took bronze at the U19 European Championships Small Countries Division last year.
Megan Gordon becomes the first female boxer to compete for Scotland at any Commonwealth Games event, with European Junior Championship medallists, Sam Hickey and Lewis Johnstone also included in a talented Boxing squad.
Athletics name a strong line-up of 11 athletes including European Youth Championships bronze medallist Erin Wallace, who set a new British and Scottish U17 indoor record over 800m in 2016, also taking the Scottish indoor 1500m record which had stood since 1982. She is joined by three fellow Scottish record holders; Alessandro Schenini, holder of the U17 indoor long jump mark, sprinter Adam Clayton who claimed the U17 60m record in February and will contest the 100m in the Bahamas and Adam Scott who erased Josh Kerr’s U17 1500m mark last summer.
Eight swimmers will take to the pool for Team Scotland at Bahamas 2017, five of whom; Anna Fleming, Isabel Jones, Luke Robins, Scott McLay and Thomas Beeley, are also set to compete for Great Britain at the European Junior Championships in Israel at the end of June. The swimming team also includes Team Scotland’s youngest athlete for these Games, 15 year old Roisin Ramsay from Edinburgh.
British U18 Doubles Champion, Alexandra Hunter, and Hamish Stewart, winner at the U18 Nike National Tour Finals will play Singles and Mixed Doubles, as Tennis makes its fourth appearance at the Youth Games.
Cycling makes a return after a six year absence, with Rhona Callander, Dylan Hughes and Stephen Dent set to compete in both the Road Race and Individual Time Trial.
Team Scotland 2017 will depart for the Bahamas on 14 July, ready to make the most of their first multi-sport Games experience and aiming to emulate the success of previous Youth Games teams.
The team will be led by Scotland Rugby Sevens highest capped player and third highest points scorer of all-time, Colin Gregor, as General Team Manager. Colin represented Team Scotland in Rugby 7s at two Commonwealth Games, including as captain at Glasgow 2014. Now a Director on the Commonwealth Games Scotland Board, Colin will be responsible for the overall leadership and management of the team at Bahamas 2017 and he is keen to share his extensive sporting experience with the next generation of Team Scotland athletes.
Confirming the team for Bahamas 2017, Colin Gregor said: “Congratulations to all 41 athletes on their selection for Team Scotland, and also to their families and coaches who have supported and guided their progress. This is a fantastic opportunity for these young athletes to experience what the Commonwealth Games is all about and the start of an exciting journey, which I hope will see many of these athletes going on to represent Team Scotland at senior level.
“I wish Team Scotland 2017 every success in the Bahamas and I look forward to cheering them on over the six days of competition.”
Congratulating the athletes on their selection, Commonwealth Games Scotland Chair, Paul Bush OBE said: “I would like to welcome each and every one of these young athletes to Team Scotland and congratulate them on the hard work and dedication that lies behind their selection.
“The Commonwealth Youth Games is also an excellent development opportunity for staff with the relevant skills and experience to step up and take on first time roles or more senior positions in the multi-sport Games environment. I am delighted to see Colin Gregor and several others who have represented Team Scotland as athletes, now returning in management positions and sharing their in valuable experience.
“I wish the team all the very best for their final preparations and I look forward to seeing our athletes compete with pride for Team Scotland in the Bahamas.”
FULL TEAM LIST – Click here to view athlete profiles
Fraser Angus, 17yrs, Prestwick – Athletics
Adam Clayton, 16 yrs, Glasgow – Athletics
Lauren Greig, 16yrs, Galston, East Ayrshire – Athletics
Calum Henderson, 17yrs, Edinburgh – Athletics
Naomi Lang, 17yrs, Aberdeen – Athletics
Bethany McAndrew, 17yrs, Ballingry, Fife – Athletics
Alessandro Schenini, 17yrs, Glasgow – Athletics
Adam Scott, 17yrs, Kirkcaldy – Athletics
Maddy Silcock, 16 yrs, Banchory – Athletics
Olivia Vareille, 16yrs, Falkirk – Athletics
Erin Wallace, 17yrs, Glasgow – Athletics
Jennifer Lee, 17yrs, Livingston / South Queensferry – Beach Volleyball
Emma Waldie, 16yrs, Edinburgh / South Queensferry – Beach Volleyball
Faraz Ahmed, 17yrs, Glasgow – Boxing
John Casey, 17yrs, Stirling – Boxing
Megan Gordon, 17yrs, Rothes, Moray – Boxing
Taylor Hamilton, 17yrs, Wishaw – Boxing
Sam Hickey, 17yrs, Dundee – Boxing
Lewis Johnstone, 17yrs, Airdrie – Boxing
Tyler Jolly, 17yrs, Whithorn, Dumfries – Boxing
Craig Morgan, 17yrs, Kelty, Fife – Boxing
Ryan Reekie, 17yrs, Cowdenbeath – Boxing
Rhona Callander, 18yrs, Stirling – Cycling
Stephen Dent, 18yrs, Fort William – Cycling
Dylan Hughes, 17yrs, North Berwick – Cycling
Emma Forrest, 16yrs, Dunfermline – Judo
Ryan Quigley, 16yrs, Wishaw – Judo
Emily Ritchie, 16yrs, Livingston – Judo
Louis Saez, 17yrs, Paisley – Judo
Fiona Todman, 17yrs, Kirkcaldy – Judo
Connor Wilson, 17yrs, Bishopton, Renfrewshire – Judo
Thomas Beeley, 18yrs, Banchory – Swimming
Anna Fleming, 16yrs, Glasgow – Swimming
Emma Harvey, 15yrs, Street, Somerset – Swimming
Isabel Jones, 17yrs, Livingston / Gilmorton, Leicestershire – Swimming
Scott McLay, 18yrs, Perth – Swimming
Roisin Ramsay, 15yrs, Edinburgh – Swimming
Luke Robins, 18yrs, Glasgow / Street, Somerset – Swimming
Sophie Smith, 16yrs, Arbroath – Swimming
Alexandra Hunter, 17yrs, Edinburgh – Tennis
Hamish Stewart, 17yrs, Glasgow – Tennis
As part of Team Scotland’s countdown to the Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in July, we will be featuring each of the seven sports in which Scottish athletes will be competing.
First up in our Sport Focus is Cycling, which makes a return to the Youth Games in 2017 after an absence of six years. Cycling was first included in the Youth Games in 2004 when Track, Road and Mountain Bike disciplines all featured at the event held in Bendigo, Australia. Road Cycling then made a second appearance in 2011 and is included once again for Bahamas 2017, where Team Scotland athletes will compete in the Road Race and Individual Time Trial.
Look out for all things Cycling on the Team Scotland website and social media channels over the coming week as we highlight the sport through news articles, interviews and a wealth of Cycling facts and figures.
Take a tour through Scotland’s success in Commonwealth Games Cycling, read up on the rules and events and browse the Cycling specific photo galleries on our dedicated Cycling page.
Team Scotland 2017
Team Scotland will compete in Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Cycling, Judo, Swimming and Tennis at the Bahamas 2017 Youth Games which take place in Nassau from 18-23 July.
Three cycling athletes have been selected: Rhona Callander, Stephen Dent and Dylan Hughes. All three will compete in the Road race as well as the Individual Time Trial.
View the full Bahamas 2017 team.
You can show your support by uploading photos and messages on our supporters page and give Team Scotland’s athletes a boost as they prepare for one of the biggest competitions of their career to date!
The Commonwealth Youth Games
The Commonwealth Youth Games concept was created by Scotland as a development opportunity to give athletes under 18 years of age an international multi-sport Games experience. It aims to bridge the gap between young athletes competing in their own sports specific events and the often challenging first experience of a senior Commonwealth Games.
The first Youth Games were held in Edinburgh in 2000 as part of Scotland’s Millennium celebrations. Athletes from 14 countries competed in Edinburgh and the event quickly proved to be a great success. The Youth Games now attracts entries from all 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth and has been the introduction to multi-sport Games for a host of international stars.
Find out more about the Commonwealth Youth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Youth Games section.
Welcome to the new Team Scotland website which aims to be a comprehensive source of information about Scotland’s participation in the Commonwealth Games and highlight how it is working closely with member governing bodies of sport to promote the next generation of Team Scotland stars and inspiring more Scots to be physically active.
Whether you are looking to find out where the next Games are, which athletes have been selected or who won medals for Team Scotland in the past, we are confident you will find it all on www.teamscotland.scot, in a visual and easy to use format. There is also a new supporters section aimed at encouraging public engagement with the team.
The website has been created following a successful partnership with Dundee based technology company mtc, one of Scotland’s top web design, and e-commerce development companies and was planned using a user-centric approach.
Defining key visitor groups and stakeholders a co-creation workshop helped define and shape the vision for the new site. The strong Team Scotland brand created by Brand Oath is core to the visual experience with strong imagery given high prominence to generate both excitement and pride in the Team.
The new site is fully responsive and is optimised for use on all device types from large screens to mobile phones and tablets. The system is built using the Open Source WordPress system with a powerful template setup available to create engaging and interactive layouts.
Results and biographical data, held on the Commonwealth Games Federation’s Games management system +1% , is pulled into athlete profiles, so visitors can track the progress of their favourite athletes with the most up to date data on their successes in their respective sports.
Euan Johnstone, Creative Director, mtc said: “The Team Scotland website represented an exciting opportunity for us to promote the hugely successful Scottish Commonwealth Games Team, charting their history, celebrating the success of Glasgow 2014 and looking forward to the upcoming Commonwealth Youth Games and Commonwealth Games. We are proud to be involved in a project which unites the best of Scottish Talent in technology, sport and design and look forward to our continued relationship with Team Scotland moving forward.”
Jon Doig, Chief Executive of Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “mtc have brought innovative and creative solutions to our new website project, helping to significantly enhance the user experience, whilst ensuring we still have in-house control.
“We are delighted with the end result, which showcases our expertise in Commonwealth sport through new Team Scotland brand. The new site makes it easy for supporters to follow Scottish athletes on their inspiring journey to the next Commonwealth Games or review their success at past Games, all the way back to 1930 and feel the pride as we all unite behind Team Scotland.
“We believe the responsive nature of the site and the flexibility of the powerful CMS will enable us to grow and develop the site for a number of years to come, responding to the ever changing digital space we operate in. We will be growing the range of video content and encourage user engagement with Team Scotland. It will also allow e-marketing to be at the heart of our communications strategy.
“We have enjoyed a really positive project management experience working with the team at mtc, who have not only been responsive to our needs, but have delivered a first class website on time and on budget.”
Team Scotland is pleased to confirm the appointment of its media and medical staff, to provide first class specialist support, to the athletes competing at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas.
Katriona Bush will head up the media and communications team for her fifth successive Commonwealth Games. She was also Chief Press Attaché for Team GB at Rio 2016. She will be joined for Team Scotland 2018 by four media officers, including Stuart Mackenzie and Lorna Campbell, who were part of the media team in Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014 Both have extensive experience working within the international sports sponsorship and communications sector, with SSE and H+K Strategies respectively.
Michael James, Scotland team and performance rugby media manager at Scottish Rugby has been appointed for his first Commonwealth Games and will bring a wealth of experience from the world of professional sport, including the Rugby World Cup, RBS 6 Nations and HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Other new faces include Pete Matthews, PR Officer for sport at Loughborough University, who has experience with a number of Commonwealth Games sports and is an athletics specialist, working with British Athletics as a media officer at major international events. Whilst for this summer’s Commonwealth Youth Games, Cameron McLay from Basketball Scotland has been appointed to his first multi-sport Games role.
Both Games will be supported by Commonwealth Games Scotland’s Digital Media Officer, Gillian Cooke, a former international long jumper and Bobsleigh World Champion, who also worked with Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014 as online news editor.
Team Scotland is also pleased to announce the selection of its medical team for Gold Coast 2018 and Bahamas 2017, after an extensive selection process.
The doctors are a highly experienced group of sport and exercise medicine physicians with a depth of knowledge from working with Scotland and Britain’s best athletes over a number of years. Their current roles include medical support to the sportscotland Institute of Sport, NHS Scotland and the Ministry of Defence, with extensive travel and multi-sport Games experience, having supported Team Scotland at Commonwealth Games and Team GB at Olympic Summer and Winter Games, since 2006.
The team, will be led by Dr Niall Elliott for a third successive Commonwealth Games, and who was Chief Medical Officer for Rio 2016. He will be supported by Dr Alastair Nicol, Dr Carrie McCrea-Routray, Dr Steve Boyce and Dr Michelle Jeffrey. Dr McCrea-Routray will also act as Team Doctor for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in July.
Sports and exercise medicine physicians work as part of a wider clinical support team, ensuring the athletes health and wellbeing is maintained in the build-up and during the Games. This support forms part of the normal clinical care for performance sport in Scotland via the sportscotland Institute of Sport and continues seamlessly into the Games environment.
The work of the sports and exercise medicine physicians will be complemented by an outstanding physiotherapy team, led by Head Physiotherapist, Stephen Mutch and his deputy, Mandy More.
The group comprises employees of the sportscotland Institute of Sport in addition to governing bodies of sport and from private practices across the UK. There is a stimulating mix of newcomers to Commonwealth Games and physiotherapists with previous multi-sport experience from Commonwealth, Olympic and World University Games.
The physiotherapists appointed are: David Brandie, Linda Hardy, Maggie Hendry, Louise Imrie, Beenish Kamal, Luke Smith, Jon Twynham, Sarah Watt and Kenny Watt (no relation). Additionally, Mandy More will be physio lead for Team Scotland alongside Jon Twynham and Sarah Watt for the Youth Games.
Their selection owes as much to their problem-solving and personalities as well as their obvious expertise. Their skill-mix and ability will serve the eighteen sports professionally with energy, humour and creativity.
Across both medical and media teams, work will now begin to best align and allocate individuals to professionally support all the sports participating in the Gold Coast 2018 and Bahamas 2017 Games.
Jon Doig, Team Scotland Chef de Mission for Gold Coast 2018 said: “I am delighted we have been able to secure the services of such a hugely experienced team of media and medical specialists, ready to support our athletes in the Bahamas this summer and at Gold Coast 2018 in April next year.
“Both groups of specialists play a key role in supporting our athletes, be it ensuring that they get to the start line in the best possible shape, or helping to promote their achievements up to and at the Games themselves.
“We now have all elements of our team staff in place, with our General Team Management and Sport Team Managers appointed for both Games. We look forward with great anticipation to announcing the athletes selected for the Commonwealth Youth Games later this month and for Gold Coast 2018, starting in October.”
The Team Scotland Series lit up the Glasgow National Hockey Centre as Scotland’s top club sides battled it out across a thrilling two days of cup final action (29 & 30 April).
Top of the bill on day one was the Men’s Scottish Cup Final between Grange and Bromac Kelburne, with Kelburne on the hunt for a domestic double, having snatched the league title from Grange in the final game of the season the previous weekend.
While Grange edged the play in the opening minutes, it was Kelbourne’s Jonas Nommenson who opened the scoring and the Paisley-based side never relinquished their lead, Jack McKenzie doubling their advantage just minutes later.
Grange were not giving up without a fight, Luke Cranney pulling one back to make it 2-1. However the Edinburgh side couldn’t find a way to level the score and Johnny Christie restored Kelburne’s two goal cushion with ten minutes remaining in the first half.
Grange again dominated play at the start of the second half but it was Kelburne who struck the net. A cool finish from Craig Morton was followed by Chris Nelson finishing off a neat penalty corner routine to make it 5-1 for Kelburne. Grange kept fighting and pulled another one back through an exceptional finish from a tight angle by Ali Irvine to make the final score a 5-2 win for Kelburne.
Grange fared better in the day’s other finals with Grange 2s lifting the District Cup and Grange 3s the Reserve Cup. Western Wildcats, Edinburgh University 2s and Grove Menzieshill 3s were the other winners on day one.
Watch the full Men’s Scottish Cup final:
The women’s competition on day two saw a repeat of fortunes with the league winners completing the double to take the Scottish Cup. Edinburgh University came out on top of a close affair with Clydesdale Western, the only team to have beaten the dominant University side at any point this season.
In fact it was Western who took the lead shortly after the ten-minute mark as Lucy Lanigan took advantage of a high ball which came into the penalty area, converting to make it 1-0. Edinburgh responded with 20 minutes played as Louise Campbell seized possession near the touchline, and drove forward to the edge of the penalty area.
She sent the ball into the box, and it eventually found Zara Malseed, who duly converted to level the game. From there the tide of the match turned and, following half time, the Edinburgh side continued to push forward in search of victory. A second goal for the champions soon came, resulting from a penalty corner. Campbell stopped the ball to perfectly set up Malseed, who rocketed the ball into the Western net to score her second of the afternoon.
The final minutes were dramatic with good chances for both sides. However neither could capitalise and Edinburgh University secured a memorable, hard-fought 2-1 win, lifting the Scottish Cup for the second year in succession.
Watch the full Women’s Scottish Cup Final:
CALA Edinburgh lifted the Scottish Plate, while Orkney took the District Cup title and Glasgow Academicals the District Plate.
The next event in the Team Scotland Series will be the Netball Scotland Scottish Cup Finals at Oriam in Edinburgh on 3 June 2017.
What is the Team Scotland Series?
Scottish Hockey Cup Finals Winners
MEN:
Scottish Cup Winners: Bromac Kelburne
Scottish Plate Winners: Western Wildcats
District Cup Winners: Grange 2s
District Plate Winners: Edinburgh University 2s
Reserve Cup Winners: Grange 3s
Reserve Plate Winners: Grove Menzieshill 3s
WOMEN:
Scottish Cup Winners: Edinburgh University
Scottish Plate Winners: CALA Edinburgh
District Cup Winners: Orkney
District Plate Winners: Glasgow Academicals
Today (Tuesday 4 April) marks one year to go until the next Commonwealth Games get underway in Gold Coast, Australia, where Team Scotland will be aiming for its most successful ever overseas Games. In the region of 220 athletes will be proudly flying the flag for Scotland down under, with qualifying events continuing throughout 2017 and early 2018.
Amongst the 18 sports to be contested will be the new sport of Beach Volleyball (men’s and women’s Pairs) designed to show off the Gold Coast’s ‘trademark’ beaches and Scotland is aiming to be represented in both events.
Despite us having some of the finest white sandy beaches in the world,unlike Australia, Scotland is not often viewed as the ‘natural home’ of Beach Volleyball. However, Scottish Volleyball is thrilled to see the sport included on the programme for the very first time and is making great strides with preparations.
Two new permanent courts have recently been installed at the iconic Portobello Beach near Edinburgh by Edinburgh Beach Volleyball Club with support from the local community and City of Edinburgh Council. And leading the charge for Scotland is the London 2012 women’s volleyball captain of the indoor game, Lynne Beattie (Edinburgh) and partner and former British champion, Melissa Coutts (Edinburgh), who have re-focused their training on the pairs, beach version of this exciting sport.
The duo have recently returned from a strong show of form in Sydney, Australia, where they recorded Scotland’s first-ever win in the first round of a FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event, against strong opposition from Australia, New Zealand, USA, Japan and Germany.
Excited about the new challenge in her life, Beattie, who also works as the sport’s regional development officer, said: “I think it’s every sports person’s dream to compete at an Olympics, and to do it at home and to be captain was an unbelievable experience,” she said, “But I would also love the opportunity to represent Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games, something I never thought would happen.
“Last year when the news came out that Beach Volleyball was being included in Gold Coast 2018, is when we really started to work hard. Mel and I both work, so we have to fit in training sessions in the cold and dark or whatever the weather, but it is great to have this permanent facility here at Portobello.
“We’ve set Gold Coast as our goal and we hope the win in Sydney last month is just the start of it. We’re going to play in as many events as we can this summer and try and qualify for the Games.”
Also aiming for selection for the men are the top Scottish pair of Robin Miedzybrodzki (Edinburgh) and Seain Cooke (Perth).
The Volleyball players were joined on Portobello Beach today for a Beach Volleyball challenge by other Team Scotland 2018 hopefuls, including Hockey player Becky Merchant, Sarah Thomson from Basketball, Netball captain Claire Brownie, Shooter Seonaid McIntosh and Scotland Rugby 7s captain, Scott Riddell.
Amongst the other firsts for Gold Coast is the parity between men’s and women’s participation, with the same number of medal events for both sexes. Likewise the Para-Sport programme has been given a further boost from the enhanced programmed offered by Glasgow, to a total of 35 events across six sports (Swimming, Athletics, Cycling, Lawn Bowls, Triathlon, Powerlifting).
Team Scotland Chef de Mission, Jon Doig OBE, who will lead the team at the Games, said: “It is really exciting to celebrate one year to go until the next Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast and to think that this time next year our team of around 220 athletes will be marching into the Carrara Stadium for the Opening Ceremony.
“Scottish athletes from all the different sports love the opportunity to come together as Team Scotland for the Commonwealth Games and we believe our strong team ethos plays a big part in the team’s overall success.
“We are aiming to have our most successful ever overseas Games, winning more than the 29 medals achieved at Melbourne 2006. We believe this is a realistic and ambitious target, given that there are largely the same sports as on the 2006 programme and at the same time of year. We believe our plans are well on track and already we are seeing some exciting Scottish performances as athletes bid to meet the rigorous selection standards set at top six in the Commonwealth.
“Overall we are confident we will have a strong and highly motivated team and we are looking forward to what we are sure will be a fantastic Games in Gold Coast next year.”
Mike Whittingham, Director of High Performance at the sportscotland institute of sport added: “We are proud to be part of the ‘team behind the team’ working with our partners in the governing bodies of sport and Commonwealth Games Scotland to make sure that Scotland’s athletes are fully prepared to deliver on the world stage.
“At sportscotland we are developing a world-class sporting system at every level and we know that the athletes selected for Team Scotland can play a huge part in inspiring and encouraging more young people to become involved in sport and take their first steps on a pathway to a more active life.”