It was another successful Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) Carpet Bowls Championships at the Dundee International Sports Centre on Saturday 6 February. This was the second successive year that SDS had staged the event in the magnificent Dundee international venue and once again Dundee Disability Sport personnel pulled out all the stops to ensure the success of the championships.

 

Around 90 players had won through their area qualifying tournament to earn the right to represent their area Branch at the national championships. 83 singles ties were held and local club players from the Broughty BC, Alyth BC, Lochee BC and Ladies from the Soroptomists turned out in significant numbers to officiate throughout the day. 

 

In the section for bowlers who use a wheelchair David Thomson (Fife) retained his national title for the third year in succession. In the final he defeated five times champion Jim Hannah (South Lanarkshire) in a very close contest. In the equivalent section for women bowlers it was once again an all Dundee affair. Scottish internationalist Tricia Kirk defeated her team-mate Marion McIntosh for the second year in succession in the final. These two excellent Dundee bowlers have shared the honours for leading wheelchair bowler for six of the last seven years. 

 

The most difficult section in the national championships is the open men’s event for unrestricted physically disabled bowlers and visually impaired bowlers who have a classification of B3. The final brought together Billy Allan (Fife) who won the title in 2005 and 2006 and Mark Phairs (South Lanarkshire). Billy has had health challenges recently and was delighted to reach the final. 2010 was to be the year for first time winner Mark. He played solid bowls throughout the tournament and ran out  a very worthy winner. In the equivalent women’s event Eileen Restorick (Lothian), on her birthday, won the title for the second time by defeating Pam Gallant (Aberdeen). Eileen and husband Jimmy are very involved in the development of bowls in the Prestonpans area and her second national title is just reward for many years of dedication to the sport.

 

In the restricted section for B2 bowlers and ambulant bowlers with a physical disability there was another first time winner in Garry Whitfield (Lothian). Garry was in outstanding form throughout the day and in the final he met Scottish internationalist and arguably one of the outstanding visually impaired bowlers in the world, Eleanor Clark (Fife). The section was combined because of lack of female entries and it was appropriate that the two outstanding bowlers on the day in this section contested the final. Eleanor was satisfied with her runners-up medal and Garry delighted with his first national title. On this form it will not be his last.

 

In the sections for players with a learning disability there were a few surprises during the early ties. The men’s final brought together Scott Holden (Dundee) who won the title back in 2003 and Andrew Harrison (South Lanarkshire) who won the title in 2008. Each bowler was challenging for a second title and there was nothing between the players throughout the 45 minutes of concentrated play. It was the Dundee man however who held on to lift the title by 17 shots to 15 and guarantee that the trophy returned to Dundee for the second year in succession. The women’s final was an all Glasgow affair a between Sylvia Moffat and Jean Abercrombie. Neither had won the title before and no Glasgow bowler has held this title since 1989. The two Glasgow bowlers played steadily throughout the tournament and earned the right to contest the final. Sylvia was in control in the final and defeated her team-mate by 18 shots to 11. Jean had an outstanding semi-final result when she defeated eight times champion Moira Wright (Lothian) after an extra end play off.

 

Carpet bowls remains a very popular activity in communities throughout the country. SDS has a massively exciting period ahead in indoor and lawn bowls and it is hoped that some of the players at the national carpet bowls championships will emerge through time as talented players in the longer game. SDS acknowledges the support received  from the Dundee Disability Sport staff team and volunteers in staging the 2010 championships and also thanks Glasgow City Council for  the provision of carpet bowls mats.

Results