Ahead of the Scottish Championships in Glasgow next weekend, Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) and the Scottish Archery Association today announced the 10 archers selected to represent Team Scotland in the recurve and compound disciplines at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
The last and only other time that archery was included in the Commonwealth Games was in Brisbane in 1982 although two Commonwealth Championships have been held. Both of these took place in India, the first in 1993 and the second in November 2006 after which archery was added to the 2010 Games programme.
In the archery competition at the Games there will be a maximum of three entries per country in each of the two individual events (recurve and compound) for men and women as well as team competitions in each, with a team being made up of three archers. To increase its spectator and media appeal the sport has changed its competition structure over recent years to a knockout format.
Scottish Archery has been extremely excited about their inclusion in the Games and has gone to great lengths to ensure they are ready to take advantage of the opportunity, including attending both the last Commonwealth Championships and the Games test event in Delhi in February 2010.
Whilst all new to Commonwealth Games competition, Montrose’s Simon Needham has major Games experience, having competed in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney as well as European and World Championships for Great Britain. At 27 Emma Downie, originally from Fraserburgh is the youngest member of the team and was the winner of the 2009 British Target Championships in recurve.
Congratulating the team, Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “We are delighted to welcome all 10 archers to Team Scotland and I hope they are looking forward to what will be a new competition experience for them as part of a multi-sport team at the Commonwealth Games. They have truly earned their places on the team and I hope that they now can focus over these next two months on their final preparations that will put them in the best possible shape for the Games.”
Jon Doig, Team Scotland Chef de Mission added: “All 10 archers can feel rightly proud of their achievement in being selected for Team Scotland. This is the first step to achieving their goals in Delhi and all the support staff look forward to working with them and ensuring they have every opportunity to excel at the Games.”
On behalf of Scottish Archery, Bob Provan, Sport Team Leader said: “All the athletes are both excited and proud to be representing their country. They have all worked very hard over the last two years, under the guidance of Head Coach Lana Needham, to reach this point, but they realise that there is still a distance to go. The support they have had from the sportscotland institute of sport has also helped to make this possible. The team’s work and commitment has raised the bar in Scottish Archery and set an example for all Scottish archers hoping to compete at this level in the future.”
The archery competition will be held at the Yamuna Sports Complex from 4-10 October 2010.
Athlete Events Age Lives
Emma Downie, Recurve – individual, 27, Wolverhampton
Claudine Jennings, Compound - individual & team, 30 Edinburgh, EH7
Susan Maitland, Compound - individual & team, 53, Penicuick, Midlothian EH26
Tracey McGowan, Compound - individual & team, 38 Tadcaster, North Yorkshire
Mark Forrester, Recurve – individual & team, 37, Harpenden, Hertfordshire
James Laing, Recurve – individual & team, 48, Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire AB30
Simon Needham, Recurve – individual & team, 50, Montrose, Angus DD10
Kyle Dods, Compound - individual & team, 36, Oban, Argyll & Bute PA34
Tim Keppie, Compound - individual & team, 28, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Alastair Whittingham, Compound - individual & team, 37, Edinburgh, EH7
Bob Provan, Archery Team Leader, 57, Montrose, Angus DD10
Lana Needham, Head Coach, 43, Montrose Angus DD10
NOTE TO EDITORS
- Commonwealth Games Scotland is the lead body for Commonwealth sport in Scotland and is the organisation responsible for selecting, preparing and managing Scotland’s team at the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games.
- The Commonwealth Games is the only multi-sport event in which Scotland competes as Scotland.
- Scotland has competed in every Games since the first Empire Games in 1930 and has hosted the Games twice in Edinburgh 1970 and 1986. The Commonwealth Youth Games were also inaugurated in Edinburgh in 2000. Glasgow will be host city in 2014 when the Games return to Scotland for a third time.
- Working closely with Scotland’s national governing bodies of sport, Commonwealth Games Scotland aims to have the best prepared team possible at every Games, creating the right performance environment and giving athletes every opportunity to excel at the Games.
- The athletes representing Scotland at the Commonwealth Games will be known as Team Scotland – 17 Sports, One Team.
- Commonwealth Games Scotland and Team Scotland are backed by excellent commercial partners in Clydesdale Bank and Emirates Airline and has strong public sector support from sportscotland the national agency for sport.
- The 19th Commonwealth Games will be held in Delhi 3-14 October 2010.
- The full team will be announced by 18 August 2010.