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Thousands of people will today (Monday 31 March, 2014) learn they are carrying the Queen’s Baton, a thank-you from communities all across Scotland to the extraordinary individuals who make a positive difference to the lives of others.

Up to 4,000 batonbearers from all 32 Local Authorities will join the relay in more than 400 communities for 40 days, in what is the most engaging relay the nation has ever seen.

Thousands of people will be notified by email on whether their nominations have been successful.
For the first time in the history of any relay, all 545 secondary schools in Scotland were invited to nominate a pupil to participate as a batonbearer.

Community batonbearers have been selected by independent panels, who have considered people’s achievements against the odds, their mentoring of young people, contributions to community and youth sport, and those who make a difference through volunteering and community support.

The Queen’s Baton journey has been developed to share the excitement of Scotland’s countdown to the Commonwealth Games with as many people as possible.

The relay will reflect the important role of sport by visiting schools, sporting facilities and leisure centres, encouraging communities to get behind Team Scotland, get involved with the Games and use its profile to get more people participating in sport.

On 23 July, the message Her Majesty placed in the baton will be read at the Opening Ceremony.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is the world’s most engaging relay, a unique tradition of the Games that unites the two billion citizens of the Commonwealth in a celebration of sport, diversity and peace. It will travel over 190,000 kilometres through 69 nations and territories of the Commonwealth, before arriving in Scotland on 14 June.

Those nominees who have not been successful will have the opportunity to be a part of the relay by attending the vast programme of sports and cultural events taking place along the route.

Community and schools batonbearers include:

Community batonbearer Linda Anderson-Kerr (55), from Oban.
Linda has been nominated for her volunteering work with Distance Highland Befrienders, supporting people who live in remote and rural areas, and who experience mental health issues or have dementia. Reacting to her successful nomination, Linda said:

“When I found out I was to be a batonbearer I was quite overcome to be honest, it’s a great honour. The Queen’s Baton symbolises the coming together of Commonwealth Nations. My volunteering work is about community inclusiveness and trying to stop isolation, and so, on some level, it’s parallel to what the Queen’s Baton is all about. To be chosen is just amazing; it’s a bit of history I’m getting to be a wee part of.”

Commonwealth Games Scotland Chairman Michael Cavanagh said:
“The athletes striving to be selected for Team Scotland will be truly inspired by the determination, courage and selflessness shown by all the selected batonbearers in different walks of Scottish life, and their commitment to helping others. It is fantastic that they are being recognised and rewarded with a coveted place in Scotland’s leg of the Queens Baton Relay and we thank them for their enthusiasm and support. We are confident the Queen’s Baton Relay will get the whole country behind the Games and Team Scotland in particular, as we collectively make our final journey to Glasgow 2014.”

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Team Scotland today released the latest in the series of ‘Go Scotland!’ images featuring swimmer, Michael Jamieson, ‘walking on water’ at Loch Lomond, one of Scotland’s most famous beauty spots.

The 25-year-old from Glasgow has had a great start to his 2014 campaign, with a win in the 200m Breaststroke at the Flanders Speedo Cup in January and a second place in the Berlin International in early March, building on his new Commonwealth record of 2:01.43 which he set at the European Short Course Championships last December, where he took the silver medal.

Training down at University of Bath, Michael will return to home soil for the next two weeks to join fellow Scots, who will battle it out firstly at the Scottish Swimming Championships (3-6 April) then the British (10-15 April), to secure their places on Team Scotland for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

“I will be aiming to qualify for the team the first week and basically only swim the following week if I feel I can swim faster,” he said. “The more rest you have, the faster you swim. Coaches usually tend to cut your rest a bit short so that’s why I have entered the British Champs the second week, just to give myself the option to post a faster time.”

Amongst the events most hotly contested will be the 100m and 200m Breaststroke and outstanding as his form is, Michael Jamieson, the Olympic silver medallist from London 2012, is under no illusion that he will have to fight for his place particularly over the shorter distance. “I’ve put a lot of work into the 100m this year,” he said. “There are a couple of young guys who have been swimming fast in the 100m this season so it will be interesting to see if I can still give them a run for their money in the sprint event.”

Fellow Scots Craig Benson, Ross Murdoch and Englishman Adam Peaty are amongst Jamieson’s biggest rivals. “It will be a good race I think,” said Michael. “It’s so closely packed. Statistically Scotland is the strongest nation in the world in the 100m Breaststroke just now, which is unbelievable. I think the third ranked Scottish guy on paper just now is 60.0sec and that would have been top 10 in London. It’s crazy, but it’s great for the sport and great for Team Scotland. Fingers crossed all three of us will be swimming the event in Glasgow and we should all be making the final. But I’m struggling to match those guys in the 100.With my stroke, my physiological make-up, I’m built to swim the 200. I need to drop a lot of time this year if I’m going to be in the mix in on the 100.”

Looking forward to swimming back in what was once his home pool Jamieson said: “It’s going to be great at Tollcross. I swam there for six or seven years when I was younger. That was when I did the hard yards – it was a pretty brutal programme.

“It’s amazing to be going back there. I had a taster with the Duel in the Pool, which was a huge success with a sell-out crowd. It was an amazing event and gave me an insight into what it will be like this summer.”

Michael is also aware that his increased profile in the build-up to the Games as a Glasgow 2014 Ambassador brings with it certain pressures. “You want to be competing at the top level and with that comes expectation and pressure,” he said. “Thus far I think I have managed it ok.

“I’m up on the first day in Glasgow and I have a responsibility there for the rest of the team, for everyone that’s supported me over the years. I want to be ready on day one to deliver the result that everyone is looking for. Day one of a home Games sets the precedent for the rest of the competition.”

You can follow Michael on Twitter @MJ88Live

Photo credit: Alistair Devine

Having competed for Team Scotland at the 2006 Commonwealth Games at the age of 16, gymnast Daniel Keatings has gone on to win a number of senior honours at British, European and World Championship level. A serious injury ruled Dan out of the 2010 Games in Delhi, but following a successful comeback, he is focussed on securing a place in Team Scotland for Glasgow.

Dan says: “2006 was a great experience and the Commonwealth Games is a really key competition for me. Particularly this year, with the Games being at home it’s going to be one of the biggest competitions I will ever compete in, and to do well and win a medal would be right up there with my greatest achievements.

“The fans in Glasgow can have a real impact and the support can help you raise your game. I’ve put in some of my best performances in front of home crowds and hope I can do it again this year. With it being a home Games, you don’t just want to do well for yourself; you want to do well for the fans too.”

With final selections approaching, Dan and the other Scottish gymnasts are vying to secure a place on the team, with the next big competition coming this weekend in Liverpool – the British Championships.

“I feel like I’m going well at the moment, and I’ve been working hard on my routines”, Dan says. “This is my first year back in the All-Around and I’d really like to go clean and push for a medal. I’ll also be looking to get on the podium in the Pommel and the Parallel Bars.”

Dan, born in Kettering, is eligible to compete for Scotland through his dad who comes from Edinburgh. With a place in Scotland’s largest ever team at stake, Dan says the feeling within the Scottish Gymnastics camp is really positive.

Dan says: “I love competing for Scotland. There are a few times where we represent Scotland, but nothing quite as big as the Commonwealth Games. The feeling in the camp is awesome at the moment. There are lots of talented athletes and we realistically have eight to ten going for a spot on the team of five. The Games are going to be huge and I really can’t wait!”

You can follow Dan on Twitter @DanKeatings

Photo credit: Getty Images

Glasgow 2014 has unveiled the stunning dress created by renowned Scots designer Kerry Nixon which will be worn by female Medal Bearers at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Glasgow-born Kerry is the creative force behind the designs which will be worn in the Medal Ceremonies and showcased on the world stage, seen by around 1.5 billion television viewers around the globe.

The dress, which has been a closely guarded secret and kept under wraps for many months before its unveiling today, (Thursday 27 March) is vibrant and stylish and made in the Official Glasgow 2014 Tartan.

The tartan design was printed onto the fabric for the dresses by the prestigious Centre of Advanced Textiles at the Glasgow School of Art.

The female Medal Bearer’s role includes leading procession members to the podium and carrying the medals awarded to the athletes.

Kerry Nixon launched in 2006 with a dazzling winter collection for “Vidler & Nixon”. In the following years the brand was stocked by prestigious international retailers, gaining global acclaim for its unique and innovative tailoring, sought after by fashion insiders and A-list stars. In 2011 Kerry’s passion for design and love of fashion lead her into a career as a stylist. Her work can now be seen on several high profile actresses on the red carpet.

Games organisers are thrilled to have Kerry bringing her own unique style to creating a memorable look for the ceremonies at the heart of Glasgow 2014.

The medal-bearer’s dress was designed to reflect the youthful nature of the Games and to pay homage to Glasgow’s vibrant art and fashion scene.

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Despite only having started boxing five years ago, Ross Henderson is looking forward to what would be his second Commonwealth Games in July. Between the 2010 Games in Delhi and now, the Super Heavyweight has developed as a fighter and goes into this week’s Scottish Championships, and the Glasgow Games, full of confidence.

Ross says: “Delhi was my first big competition and to be fair I was a relative novice at that stage. In the lead up to Glasgow I have matured a lot, worked really hard in the gym and to look back on that experience in 2010 I do know what to expect.

“I’ve been to some of the biggest competitions in the world and to some of it is about belief and knowing I belong at that level. I took a lot out of the World Championships in Kazakhstan and was happy with my performance. Boxing Scotland need to be given a lot of credit for the tournaments we have been sent to this past couple of years. They have been truly world-class and it is great preparation.”

This Friday (28 March) Scotland’s top amateur boxers will come together for the Boxing Scotland Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. With final selections for Glasgow 2014 on the horizon, the Championships present a number of fighters with a vital chance to make a final push for a place on the team.

“The Championships last year were brilliant and a huge step up from what we’ve seen before, but this year Boxing Scotland have taken it to a whole other level”, says Ross. “Seeing thousands of people in that venue will be incredible. I’m feeling good about my fight on Friday. I’ve boxed world-class fighters and I know how to adapt to deal with anything – nothing fazes me now.

“There’s a huge amount of potential for the Championships, which shows the current state of boxing in Scotland. Looking ahead to the Games we’re going to have some really strong fighters who don’t even make the team. We’ve never had so much quality, and we’re all fighting for a place which will make the Championships that extra bit more special.”

After the final selections are made for Team Scotland, the boxers will go into an intensive training period in the lead up to the Games. Staying fit and sharp is key for the squad, and Ross is focused on his aspirations for the Games.

“I want to medal”, he says. “It’s going to be hard, but you want to go for gold. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am and if you could offer me a medal now I’d take it, but the minute you get to that semi-final bout you have your mind set on gold. The crowd in Glasgow is going to be massive and that can have a big influence on a bout. What a buzz it will be!”

You can follow Ross on Twitter: @RossHenderson87

Tickets for the Boxing Scotland Championships are available here: www.boxingscotland.org/

Photo credit: Getty Images

Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) in conjunction with Bowls Scotland, today announced the ten lawn bowlers selected to represent Team Scotland at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games this summer. Nine of the 10 bowlers have competed in a total of 20 Commonwealth Games between them and with three Gold medals to their credit, their international experience is sure to be the key to success this summer.

Five men and five women will make up the full quota of lawn bowlers who will compete at the Kelvingrove Lawn Bowls Centre 24 July – 1 August 2014, against the magnificent backdrop of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Each bowler will compete in two of four events: Singles or Fours and Pairs or Triples. However with four months until the start of the Games, head coach, David Gourlay has pledged to keep details of the events in which each bowler will play under wraps, to maximise tactical advantage.

Lawn bowls is one of ten core sports at the Commonwealth Games for men and women and has been included in every Games programme, with the exception of Kingston, Jamaica in 1966. Scotland has a long tradition of success in lawn bowls winning a total of 28 medals including 13 Gold. Having missed out on the medal podium in Delhi, the sport appointed David Gourlay as head coach, who introduced a new approach to preparation. As a direct result Scotland’s bowlers returned to winning ways in 2012, winning six medals at the World Championships in Adelaide, three of them gold. Team Scotland’s lawn bowlers are determined to win medals this summer, when the action comes to their home greens in Glasgow.

Alex ‘Tattie’ Marshall MBE will make his fifth Games appearance in Glasgow and will be aiming to keep up his Games winning form having won two Gold medals in his last two Games. He won the Pairs event in Manchester in 2002 with George Sneddon and again in Melbourne with Troon’s Paul Foster MBE, also selected for 2014.
He is the only person to have won five world indoor singles titles and he holds the record for the most world titles won which amount to an incredible tally of 19. He is the current World Pairs Champion outdoors (2012) and indoors (2013) with partner Paul Foster.

Paul Foster also has a string of major titles to his name including 2013 World Indoor Pairs champion (for the third time) and 2012 World Outdoors Pairs champion with Alex Marshall. This is the first time in the history of the sport that one pair have held both indoor and outdoor world titles simultaneously. This record cements their standing as the most successful pairing in bowls history. However Paul is equally successful in the Singles and is the current International Open Singles Champion and World Ranked number 1.

Margaret Letham from Bothwell will make an impressive fifth successive Commonwealth Games appearance in Glasgow. She won Gold at her first Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, where she took the Pairs title with partner Joyce Lindores. She is the current World Outdoors Fours Champion and World Pairs Bronze medallist from 2012. A Gold medallist at the 8 Nations event held at Kelvingrove last year proves she has got to grips with the new greens and is capable of winning on home soil.

Lauren Baillie from Port Seton, East Lothian is the only new face amongst the bowlers and will make her Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow. She was also a member of the Fours Gold medal winning team at the 8 Nations last September.

Making the announcement Team Scotland Chef de Mission, Jon Doig said: “Congratulations to all 10 bowlers who have been selected to represent Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014. There was extremely stiff competition for the 10 places available and confirms Scotland’s strength in depth in the sport of Lawn Bowls.

“This team has one of the strongest pedigrees we have ever seen with consistent success at international level both indoors and outdoors. I am sure their collective skills and experience will stand them in great stead for this summer’s Commonwealth Games when they will have the added benefit of huge home support.”

Scotland will also enter athletes in the Para-Sport Lawn Bowls competition Mixed Pairs B2/B3 (visually impaired) and Open Triples B6/B7/B8 (physically impaired) and the team members will be announced in April.
This brings the total Team Scotland numbers selected so far to 46, with an anticipated final team size in the region of 270 athletes.

Selected Athletes

Lawns Bowls:

Name Born/ Lives

Darren Burnett Arbroath/Arbroath, Angus

Paul Foster Irvine/Troon, South Ayrshire

Alex Marshall Edinburgh/Tranent, East Lothian

David Peacock Edinburgh/Dalkieth, Midlothian

Neil Spiers Edinburgh/Edinburgh

Lauren Baillie Edinburgh/Port Seton, East Lothian

Caroline Brown Holytown/Belshill, North Lanarkshire

Claire Johnston Irvine/Auchinleck, East Ayrshire

Margaret Letham Hamilton/ Bothwell, South Lanarkshire

Lorraine Molloy Broxburn/East Whitburn, West Lothian

Photo Credit: Alistair Devine

He is the only person to have won five world indoor singles titles and he holds the record for the most world titles won which amount to an incredible tally of 19. He is the current World Pairs Champion outdoors (2012) and indoors (2013) with partner Paul Foster.

David Gourlay, Bowls Scotland Head Coach added: “All of our players are immensely proud to be selected for Team Scotland today. “This is the culmination of an 18 month training and selection process and choosing the team has been made more challenging because the whole elite squad committed fully to the programme and everyone satisfied the selection criteria.

“I firmly believe the 10 players we have selected will give us our best opportunity to win medals in Glasgow this summer. This is our best prepared bowls team and we look forward to being part of what we believe will be the most successful Games ever for Team Scotland.”

The Minister for Sport and Commonwealth Games, Shona Robison said: “Congratulations to all the athletes selected for Team Scotland. These sportsmen and sportswomen are part of a proud history of bowlers representing Scotland at the Commonwealth Games which stretches back to the very first competition. Ticket sales for the matches at Kelvingrove show how popular the sport is in Scotland and I know the country will be behind them all the way. I wish all the athletes the very best of luck in their individual and team events.”

Many of the bowlers announced today have benefited from the support of sportscotland the national agency for sport and in particular from the high performance support and expertise provided by the sportscotland institute of sport.

Endorsing the selections, Louise Martin CBE, chair of sportscotland said: “Today marks another milestone on the road to Glasgow 2014 as a further 10 athletes are unveiled for Team Scotland. Our experts at the sportscotland institute of sport have worked closely with this group of athletes to ensure they have had the right support at the right time to achieve their selection goals. Today is a great celebration of that collaboration between the sport and the team behind the team.”

This is the first team announcement of 2014 and brings the total Team Scotland numbers selected so far to 46, with an anticipated final team size in the region of 270 athletes.
SELECTED ATHLETES
LAWN BOWLS:
NAME BORN/LIVES
Darren Burnett Arbroath/Arbroath, Angus
Paul Foster Irvine/Troon, South Ayrshire
Alex Marshall Edinburgh/Tranent, East Lothian
David Peacock Edinburgh/Dalkieth, Midlothian
Neil Spiers Edinburgh/Edinburgh

Lauren Baillie Edinburgh/Port Seton, East Lothian
Caroline Brown Holytown/Bellshill, North Lanarkshire
Claire Johnston Irvine/Auchinleck, East Ayrshire
Margaret Letham Hamilton/ Bothwell, South Lanarkshire
Lorraine Molloy Broxburn/East Whitburn, West Lothian

Greg Lobban (Inverness) and Douglas Kempsell (Edinburgh) created history this past weekend when they were involved in the first ever all-Scottish PSA World Tour final. In the end it was Greg who claimed the title at the Geneva Open, one of the longest running events on the PSA Tour – now in its 41st year.

Lobban, the No.2 seed, was looking to build on his excellent performances at the Scottish Closed Championships less than 2 weeks ago where he pushed Scottish No.1, Alan Clyne, to a fifth game before cramping in the decider at the end of a brutal match.

On the opening day, he negotiated a couple of dangerous early round encounters with successive 3-1 wins over Portugal’s Claudio Pinto and Frenchman, Christophe André, to secure his place in the quarter finals against No.8 seed, Carlos Cornes (Spain).

Meanwhile, in the top half of the draw, Greg’s hopes of securing the title received an early boost when top seed, Jan Koukal (Czech Republic), lost in the first round to reigning World Junior Champion, Karim El Hammamy of Egypt.
Dougie enjoyed a straight-forward win against Anthony Brindle (Gibralter) before narrowly defeating England’s Mark Fuller 11-8 6-11 14-12 11-7 in a gruelling match that took over an hour for the first two games alone. Fuller had previously defeated another Scot, Jamie Henderson in his first round.

The quarter-finals saw Greg and Dougie ease through with comfortable 3/0 wins over Cornes and Belgium’s Jan Van den Herrewegen respectively – saving valuable energy for the semi-finals later in the day.

Dougie was first up against El Hammamy, who had followed up his first round upset with two more wins over higher-ranked opponents. The opening exchanges were again long and demanding but Dougie took the first game 12/10 only to lose the next by the same score. El Hammamy got off to a good start in the 3rd game and closed it out 11/6 but Dougie managed to apply pressure and make his younger opponent work hard for his points. This investment eventually paid off as he was able to recover to win 3-2 to reach his first PSA final.

In the other semi-final, Greg won convincingly against 3rd seed, Adam Auckland (England), 11/1 11/9 11/1.

With former top-ranked Scottish trio Peter Nicol, John White and Martin Heath having competed regularly in the latter stages of major events during the late-1990s and early-2000s, but never in a PSA final while both representing Scotland, the record books appeared to indicate that this would be the first time two Scots had reached the final of any World Tour event on the PSA circuit.

Greg ultimately proved the stronger in the final and was able to take advantage of his more clinical route to the final. Although Dougie put up some strong resistance in the second before running out of ideas and energy, Greg sealed his 3rd victory on the PSA Tour with an 11/5 11/8 11/3 victory.

Both players will move further up the rankings next month on the back of these results and they will be looking to continue this form as they build up to the European Team Championships at the end of April.

You can follow Greg and Dougie on Twitter @LobSquash @Kempsell

Photo Credit: Rob Eyton-Jones

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