Commonwealth Games Medallists Celebration at the 2025 National Championships
With 23rd July 2025 marking exactly one year to go until the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games commence, Bowls Scotland will be joining in the celebrations on day one of our 2025 National Championships.
On Saturday 26th July, 20 previous bowls Commonwealth Games medallists will be attending the National Centre for Bowling, Ayr to celebrate their achievements and build the excitement towards next year’s home Games. Amongst those attending include Scottish bowls icons Paul Foster MBE, Alex Marshall MBE & Willie Wood MBE, Annbank’s family dynasty of David Gourlay Jnr MBE, David Gourlay Snr & Sarah Gourlay and five of our most recent gold medallists from Birmingham 2022, Robert Barr, Garry Brown, Sarah Jane Ewing, Melanie Inness & Pauline Wilson.
The format of the day will see a break in play to enable the medallists to be paraded round Green A at 12.15pm, meet & greet and photo opportunities with spectators, a hospitality lunch in our VIP Hub and medallists interacting with fans at our Glasgow 2026 Engagement Area.
Finnie, Glasgow 2026’s official mascot, will be attending to add to the celebrations, making her first public appearance since being unveiled earlier today. Delegates from Commonwealth Games Scotland and Glasgow 2026’s Organising Committee will also be in attendance as our annual flagship event gets underway in South Ayrshire.
Bowls Scotland’s CEO, Malcolm Dingwall-Smith, said: “With just one year to go, excitement is mounting in our bowls community for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Bowls has a proud history of being one of Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth sports.
“What better way to celebrate than bringing together so many of our outstanding medallists on the first day of our National Championships.”
Jon Doig OBE, CEO at Commonwealth Games Scotland, commented: “Bowls has provided many unforgettable Commonwealth Games moments, and it's great to see so many of our incredible medallists being celebrated at this year's National Championships.
“With just under one year to go until Glasgow 2026, excitement is building for what will be a brilliant Games, and I'm confident that our bowls athletes will continue to star on the world stage for Team Scotland and inspire the next generation.”
Glasgow 2026 Chief Executive, Phil Batty OBE, added: “With just one year to go until the Commonwealth Games returns to Glasgow, it's fantastic to see the Bowls Scotland community leading the celebrations. Welcoming past champions and future hopefuls to the National Centre for Bowling marks a powerful moment of pride and excitement.
“The track record of Scotland’s excellence in bowls and para bowls continues to inspire as we begin the countdown to an altogether brilliant Games in 2026, unlocking a wave of excitement and anticipation across the city.”
The 2025 Bowls Scotland National Championships will see 1,316 players from 340 member clubs across the country and over 8,000 spectators attending the National Centre for Bowling, Ayr from Saturday 26th July – Sunday 2nd August. 25 national champions will be crowned during the championships across the men’s, women’s, para and youth disciplines being contested.