Pensioners gear up for sports showdown

VETERANS in all four Erskine care homes will take part in the Sporting Senior Games 2017.

Taking place on Older People’s Day and UN International Day of Older Persons, on October 1, residents will compete in the sports of basketball, boccia bowls, javelin, penalty shoot-out, curling and cycling on static bikes.

Teams from Erskine Park; The Erskine Home; Erskine Glasgow and Erskine Edinburgh have been practising for weeks in anticipation of the day of competition.

A team from Heathfield Nursing Care Home in Ayrshire will also compete.

Taking place at Park Mains High School in Erskine, the event is being held in partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University, with the majority of volunteers on the day being students from the university.

Erskine’s head physiotherapist Janet Leith said: “Following our fantastic Centenary Games in 2016, Erskine is collaborating once again with GCU to host our now annual sporting competition.

“We are looking forward to a day of intense competi- tion and great fun with our resident athletes taking centre stage.

“The winning team will be presented with the John Bowman Trophy by his son Ian which will be a lovely moment for everyone,”

Many competitors will be in their 80s or 90s and many are living with dementia.

The overall winning team will be awarded the John Bowman Trophy which is named after an inspirational Erskine resident who passed away last year aged 99.

John was a keen cyclist when he was younger and loved competing in sports at Erskine, especially on the static bike.

John was also a member of the Clydebank Male Voice Choir for many years and the choir will attend the Games to perform.