Scottish curlers celebrate bronze medal in world championships and qualification for Paralympics

  • Watch as Natasha Potts visits Dumfries Ice Bowl to visit the Scottish wheelchair curling team

The Scottish wheelchair curling team is celebrating success after winning bronze at the world championship in Canada.

The medal has seen them qualify for the 2026 Paralympics.

At the Ice Bowl in Dumfries, the players have been back in Scotland competing for the title of Scottish champions.

Team GB Paralympian Gregor Ewan said: "It is one of them where you go out there with the best intentions but you know that China and Canada are some of the strongest teams in the world.

"For us to go out there and actually come in third, which qualifies us for the Paralympics in Italy, it is a great achievement for Scotland.

I always love coming back in. I have got a lot of good friends here. It is the banter, I love the banter with people."

The bronze medal received by the team at the world championship in Canada. Credit: ITV Border

At the Ice Bowl players of all levels compete amongst the Paralympians. The sport offers those an opportunity to socialise and to test themselves against the best in the sport.

Carlyne McCluskey, Scottish wheelchair curling associate, said: "It is nice that we all just play each other.

"There can be Paralympic champions and ordinary curlers like myself all just playing together.

"If I didn’t have curling to go to I might just sit in the house all week and get miserable."

Members of the Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association say there's a real need to get more people involved.

Alison Hopkins, secretary, Scottish wheelchair curling association, said: "We are struggling at club level trying to get people in.

"Just purely because of the cost of living and because the ice costs have gone up. I think the team doing well will hopefully bring in more people.

"Our teams are actually getting older and we need some new blood in. As long as you use a wheelchair you can play wheelchair curling."

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