Tuesday 29 July 2008
With 16 Scots selected for the Paralympic Games in Beijing, disability sport is firmly in the spotlight and sportscotland has today added to the feel good factor by announcing an investment package of over a quarter of a million pounds for Scottish Disability Sport (SDS).
sportscotland Chair, Louise Martin CBE, supported by Sports Minister, Stewart Maxwell, made the announcement during a visit to an SDS summer camp at the sportscotland National Centre Inverclyde. Congratulating Kieran Martin, one of four Scots selected for the Paralympic football team, Louise Martin confirmed that the £276,750 investment, of which £175,750 is from the sportscotland Lottery Fund, would support the work of Scottish Disability Sport as they build towards the 2012 Paralympics in London.
Louise Martin said: “Firstly I would like to congratulate all of the athletes who have been selected for the Paralympic Games in Beijing. Scotland’s disability athletes have always done us proud on the world stage and we are delighted to provide this investment to support their development.
“The funding will benefit disability athletes at all levels, creating more opportunities for young people to get involved in sport, supporting coaches and enabling SDS to put structures in place to allow our athletes to fulfill their potential.”
Scotland has consistently competed at the top level in disability sport including World Cups in football and curling in addition to the Paralympics. SDS, together with key partners, is responsible for providing opportunities for more young Scots to become involved in disability sport and further their development in their chosen sport.
Mr Maxwell said: “I am delighted Scotland is going to be so well represented at the Beijing Paralympics. Through sportscotland, this Government wants to nurture and fund the stars of today and tomorrow.
“This funding will build on the notable success of our disabled athletes in recent years and ensure Scottish disability sport continues to go from strength to strength.”
For SDS, initiatives such as the summer camp provide talented young Scottish athletes with the opportunity to develop their skills by working with coaches and established athletes such as Scott Troup, captain of the Scottish Cerebral Palsy Football team and badminton player Ryan McDonald who has competed for Scotland at European level. Over thirty young Scottish athletes aged between 12 and 18 years of age take part in the three day camp (28 – 30 July) giving them access to top coaches and an opportunity to try out new sports. The funding announced today will support the development work of SDS to increase access to sport and deliver a performance plan designed to see more Scots achieving success at the highest level.
Welcoming the investment, Gordon McCormack, Chairman of Scottish Disability Sport said: “SDS is delighted with the ongoing partnership with sportscotland which supports disability athletes and our programmes.
“This commitment is vital to the continued delivery of our development work such as the hugely successful summer camp but also the implementation of our performance plans which will support our most promising and talented athletes towards London 2012.”
- In 2007 sportscotland invested over £10 million in 54 sports governing bodies
- The £276,750 investment in Scottish Disability Sport is made up of £175,750 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund and £101,000 sportscotland funding from the Scottish Government.
- Scottish Disability Sport is the Scottish governing and co-ordinating body of all sports for people of all ages and abilities with a physical, sensory or learning disability.
- This is the eighth SDS summer camp. The camp is residential and runs for three days. Participants take part in a range of sports and recreational activities including archery, athletics, badminton and football.
- 205 British athletes have been selected for the ParalympicsGB team for Beijing.
- The Scots selected as part of ParalympicsGB are:
- Archery Kate Murray
- Athletics Elizabeth Clegg
- Athletics Neil Fachie
- Athletics Stephen Payton
- Cycling Aileen McGlynn MBE
- Football Graeme Paterson
- Football Jonathan Paterson
- Football Keiran Martin
- Football Mark Robertson
- Swimming Andrew Lindsay
- Swimming Charlotte Henshaw
- Swimming James Anderson MBE
- Swimming Mhairi Love
- Swimming Sean Fraser
- Tennis Gordon Reid
- Tennis Kevin Simpson
- The Paralympics take place from 6-17 September 2008.
