The Winter Games has had us all glued to the telly, the games continue in March with the Paralympic teams competing. The GB squad are all members of Braehead Wheelchair Curling Club and all started somewhere. So if you fancy your chances for the next Games why not come over and have a go. The club is inclusive, friendly, enthusiastic and provides the chance to learn all about the sport.
So don your woolie jumper and come on over.
Nothing ventured nothing gained.
“I started curling as a hobby on a Sunday afternoon. Now I have been selected to the performance squad and have travelled to the States and Canada, competed in many events in the UK. It could be you too!” (Gill Keith, member)
Join us for a warm welcome at 7.50 pm on the ice, we will provide the help and support to try it out. Then, have a drink in the bar after and chat to lots of curlers and find out what it is all about.
When it comes to curling, Team GB competes as Scotland at the world wheelchair curling championships. Add this to the fact that several of the team are long-standing SIS members, and you’ll understand why we are all looking forward to watching them perform on the elite stage of the Winter Paralympics in Vancouver. But will we actually get a chance to watch them at all?
The BBC will NOT be broadcasting any live coverage of the winter Paralympics on TV. Instead there will be a daily news report from the games (although at what time of day we’re not sure) and an hour long highlights programme once the games are finished.
The BBC Sport website editor Lewis Wiltshire wrote the following response to comments on his blog:
“we will be reporting the Winter Paralympics daily via news reports and this website using reporters and crews based in Vancouver and Whistler. There are provisional plans in place to stream the curling live through the BBC Sport website and BBC Red Button if the GB team make the medal rounds and we will also be broadcasting a one hour highlights programme on Monday 22 March on BBC TWO. We will not be broadcasting any other live coverage due to budget restrictions and the time zone factor. This decision was made several months ago.”
In 2001 the IOC created Olympic Broadcasting Services to be responsible for the game’s entire host broadcasts from Vancouver 2010 onwards. All the video coverage you see from the Winter Olympics and Paralympics (and also all the coverage you will see of London 2012) is filmed by OBS. They then stream this directly to the rights-holding broadcasters around the world, which in the UK means the BBC.
Since the BBC has already purchased the rights to all the live video feed from the games, and since they don’t actually have to film anything themselves, we’re not quite sure what “budget restrictions” Lewis Wiltshire is referring too.
Thankfully, the International Paralympic Committee has set up a web-based TV channel, ParaylmpicSport.tv to showcase Paralympic sport. Live and recorded coverage of the winter Paralympics will be available online via their website or via their YouTube channel here. Below is their new Vancouver trailer!
What do you think about the BBC’s proposed Winter Paralympic coverage? What do you think of the BBC’s coverage of disability sport in general? Do you have any thoughts on Channel 4 being the official UK broadcaster for London 2012?
Please share your thoughts with us via the comments feature, we’d love to hear your opinion.
The Winter Paralympics takes place from March 12th – 21st.
You can find out full details of the GB teams for curling and skiing from the Paralympics GB website.
If you would like to place your company name on the waiting list in the event of a last minute cancellation please send an email to events@sisonline.org
We would like to thank the table host and sponsors for this year’s event on Spinal Injuries Scotland’s 50th Anniversary. We are all looking forward to a fantastic and competitive evening.
For further information on the Oil & Gas Quiz or other SIS events, please go to the “What’s On” section of the website or click here.
Winners Scottish Wheelchair Curling Championships, Aberdeen 2010