Judo kick-starts the countdown to next year’s Games
TEAM SCOTLAND’S build-up to the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast got under way in earnest yesterday with the launch of the Team Scotland Series, a ground-breaking collaboration which brings together 17 Scottish national championship events in 2017 across 12 Commonwealth Games sports.
Beginning with tomorrow’s Scottish Open Judo Championships, and ending with the Scottish Short Course Swimming Championships in December, the link aims to raise the profile and media coverage of these domestic national championships, with BBC Scotland having pledged to cover the series and live stream a selection of the events.
The project builds on the existing close working relationship between athletics, swimming and cycling, with both the indoor and outdoor national athletics championships included in the series. Many of the series events
14 January
Scottish Open Judo Championships Scottish Indoor Athletics Championships Scottish Table Tennis Championships Scottish Artistic Gymnastics Championships Boxing Scotland Elite Championship
28 January 4 March 4 March 1 April
Finals
29 April 3 June 1 June
Hockey Scottish Cup Scottish Netball Finals Scottish Open Table Tennis Championships Scottish Open Swimming
30 June
also mark qualifying opportunities for Scotland’s athletes en route to Gold Coast 2018 and Bahamas 2017.
“The Team Scotland Series is a really exciting initiative which will see us working in partnership with sports governing bodies to highlight and promote the key competitions that are the bedrock of Scottish sport, as well as serving as important selection events for the Commonwealth Games and Youth Games,” said Paul Bush OBE, the chairman of Commonwealth Championships Scottish 50m Shooting Championships National Bowls Championships Scottish Road Cycling Championships Scottish Beach Volleyball Championships Scottish Athletics Championships Scottish National Bowls Championships Scottish National Track Cycling Championships Scottish Short Course Swimming Championships
14 July 24-29 July 20 August 26 August 26 August September November 9 December
Games Scotland. “Almost every athlete who competes for Team Scotland at the next Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast and onwards to 2022 and beyond will have competed in their sport’s Scottish Championships on their path to international success, so when we are watching these events we are watching Team Scotland’s future stars in action.
“I am particularly delighted that BBC Scotland has recognised the important role that the Team Scotland Series will play in showcasing the best of Scottish sport and the build-up to Gold Coast 2018 and I would like to thank them for their support.”
“We’re pleased for athletics to be involved in the Team Scotland Series, linking the National Championships across a number of sports,” said Mark Munro, the chief executive of Scottish Athletics.
“Any opportunity to raise the media profile of Commonwealth Games sports in this country can only be a positive. If you look at Scotland track and field teams down the years then you will find those athletes have always come through the Scottish Seniors at some stage in their careers.”
Excited that judo will get the 2017 series under way this weekend, Glasgow 2014 gold medallist and Team Scotland flag bearer Euan Burton said: “The Scottish Open has always played a part in the development of Scottish judo athletes.
“All our medallists from Team Scotland in Glasgow 2014 had utilised the event at some stage along their performance pathway.” Los Angeles will have two NFL teams from the start of the 2017 season following confirmation the Chargers will leave San Diego after 56 years.
The Chargers had until January 17 to exercise an option to move to Los Angeles, where the team was founded in 1960 before moving south after one season.
In an open letter announcing the move, Chargers chairman Dean Spanos said: “San Diego has been our home for 56 years. It will always be part of our identity.” TODAY Football Championship, Leeds United v Derby County - Sky Sports 1 1900; LaLiga, Malaga v Real Sociedad - Sky Sports 2 1940 Cricket South Africa v Sri Lanka, third Test - Sky Sports 2 0755 Golf European Tour, South African Open - Sky Sports 4 0800 and 1200; PGA Tour, Sony Open Hawaii - Sky Sports 4 0000 (Sat) Rugby union European Challenge Cup, Bristol v Bath - BT Sport 2 1900 Tennis ATP, The Sydney International - Eurosport 1 0930; WTA, Sydney - BT Sport 1 0730, Hobart - BT Sport 2 0800 Basketball NBA, Atlanta Hawks v Boston Celtics - BT Sport 1 0100