Success at roaring game for blind Jim

WELL KNOWN Fife blind golfer Jim Gales has been notching up some success in another sport—the “roaring game” of curling.

He has just been presented with the first annual trophy for Fife’s Blind Curling overall points winner, for the season which has just finished.

Jim, who is the chairman of VICS (Vision Impaired Curlers Scotland), said yesterday that members, sighted guides and coaching staff associated with the Fife Society for the Blind Curling Group have been playing and training at the Green Hotel in Kinross.

The coaching staff, who play at various clubs based at the hotel, have given their time and skills to help establish the group, and the hotel itself has provided concessionary ice time.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our group to show to other curlers and the general public that loss or deterioration of sight should not be a barrier to anyone wishing to continue to play or take up the sport.

“There are curlers out there who have played for many years and discovered a sight problem that may restrict their play and they have to rely on friends or family to continue playing. So we would invite anyone with sight problems to come along and give it a try.”

Jim said there are several blind and vision-impaired curling groups in Canada, but none in Scotland. He said VICS had contacted the Canadians to learn more about their group structure and hoped to set up an international match in 2008.

Curling for blind or vision-impaired players is played to Royal Caledonian Curling Club rules. Players are assisted by a sighted coach or guide, whose role is to give the curler verbal information on distance, direction and the characteristics of the game and ice.

“It is then up to the blind or vision-impaired curler’s skill, judgment and touch. There is no reason why a blind or vision-impaired curler cannot achieve the accuracy and touch of a sighted player,” said Jim.

Team League winners for 2006/7 were Edwynn Hodgkinson of Cowdenbeath, Sophie Gray of Kirkcaldy and David Ross of Inverkeithing.

Individual season winners were Jim Gales and Stuart Thomson of Kirkcaldy, and the final session bonspiel was won by Frank Goodison of Perth.

Anyone with a sight problem and interested in attending the weekly sessions, which start up again in September, or wishing to obtain further details about curling, should contact Liz Reid, either by Emailing Liz.Reid@fsbinsight.co.uk at or by telephone on 01592 412 666.