N-ice work as curling recognised at awards

Jun 10 2009 by Paul Thomson, East Kilbride News

EAST Kilbride was well represented at the recent South Lanarkshire Disability Sports Awards as a number of local sports stars picked up gongs for their performances over the last year.

Of the five main awards presented at Larkhall Sports Centre on May 14, three of them were won by Est Kilbride district residents as Aileen Neilson, Diane Gillan and David Gillespie picked up some of the event’s big awards.

It was a great night for Strathaven’s Aileen Neilson as she collected the prize for Adult Female Sports Personality of the Year. A South Lanarkshire Primary School teacher, she curls at the Lanarkshire club as well as in Braehead and was fully deserving of her accolade.

During the last year she represented Scotland and Great Britain in numerous international tournaments in Europe, America and Canada. And it was in Canada where she competed at the highest wheelchair curling level, being selected to represent Great Britain at the World Championships in Vancouver where the team finished in fifth position.

From world achievement to national success, Aileen was also in the rink which won the Scottish Championships in Aberdeen.

Elsewhere on the night, there was also great news for Diana Gillan as she claimed the Junior Female Sports Personality of the Year.

During the last year she has been selected by Badminton Scotland to represent her country in a series of internationals against England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

At the Four Nations’ Competition in Cardiff she won both gold in the singles and doubles sections before going on to again represent her country at the Four Nations’ event in Liverpool where she had a fantastic competition and won gold in the pairs.

Diane, who plays for East Kilbride Youth Disability Sports Club, is well respected in the sport of badminton and currently holds the position of the number one badminton player in Scotland. Later this year she will represent South Lanarkshire at the forthcoming Special Olympics National Games to be held in Leicester.

And there was also success for Diane’s coach David Gillespie, also from East Kilbride, as he picked up the Coach of the Year award.

David has been a long-standing servant to the South Lanarkshire badminton team and he was praised by South Lanarkshire Leisure’s Millar Stoddart, who hosted the awards evening.

Millar, who is also secretary of South Lanarkshire Disability Sport, said of David: “It is great that within South Lanarkshire we have an excellent badminton coach who, despite a busy coaching schedule, finds time to develop the badminton skills of young people with a disability, not only within South Lanarkshire but at regional and national level.

“With the national badminton governing body also active in the promotion of badminton for people with a disability, many of his players from South Lanarkshire have the opportunity to play in international matches, especially against England, Ireland and Wales.

“His Disability Sport badminton coaching classes organised in partnership with the East Kilbride Disability Sports Club are highly rated.”

Other local sports stars were also recognised at the awards ceremony with merit awards for their services to their sports.

Merits were awarded to wheelchair curler Gerald Pocock and Red Deer Wheelchair Bowling Club. Also, Gordon McQuilken, who represents East Kilbride Youth Disability Sports Club, was in attendance to receive a merit award recognising the club’s excellent programme of events throughout the year.

Elsewhere, Ian Archer from Strathaven picked up a merit from Councillor May Smith in recognition of his coaching during the year to team members of the South Lanarkshire Wheelchair Curling Club, which meet at Lanarkshire Ice Rink.

Finally, the South Lanarkshire Disability Sports Partnership of the Year award was presented to Lanarkshire Ice Rink and South Lanarkshire Wheelchair Curling Club by Councillor Gerry Convery.

Following several ‘Come and Try’ Wheelchair Curling sessions at South Lanarkshire Leisure Ice Rink in East Kilbride over a number of years, it was agreed, in partnership with South Lanarkshire Disability Sport, that a South Lanarkshire Wheelchair Curling Club be formed.

The club later approached Lanarkshire Ice Rink in Hamilton to enquire if it would be possible to receive some ice time and since this was agreed, the club has been developing quickly and now has over 35 members – making it one of the leading clubs in Scotland.