European Championships Preview - Q&A with Megan Grantham
Scotland has the honour of hosting the 2022 Bowls Europe Championships at the National Centre for Bowling, Ayr from Saturday 9th – Thursday 14th July. With only two days to go before the event gets underway, we caught up with Scotland’s Megan Grantham to preview the Championships.
Megan is part of the Bowls Scotland High Performance programme and has previously competed at the 2019 Atlantic Championships in Wales, returning home with a bronze medal in the women’s fours. She is part of a youthful but highly talented Scotland team for this year’s European Championships. Dawn Anderson, Kimberley Dodds, Emma McIntyre and Rachel Sinclair join Megan in the women’s squad whilst Jason Banks, Blair Davidson, John Fleming, Connor Milne and Mark O’Hagan complete the men’s team.
This year’s tournament will be the 13th Bowls Europe Championships and 16 countries from across the continent will compete in men’s and women’s singles, pairs, triples, and fours. A new format for the competition which mirrors the current World Bowls Championships and Commonwealth Games formats.
For more details on the event, please visit: https://bowlseurope.com/european-bowls-championships-2022-links/?nowprocket=1
Q1. First of all, how does it feel to be selected to compete at the 2022 European Championships?
A: “It is an honour to represent Scotland at this level, I am excited to experience the Championships as I have never played in this event before.”
Q2. This will be your second major championships competing for Scotland after the 2019 Atlantic Championships in Wales. What did you learn from that experience that you can use this time around?
A: “The Atlantic Championships was a great experience for me as I got to play against a lot of different countries with different styles of play. I learnt a lot from both my teammates and opponents. You can’t underestimate any team, you have got to stay focused and maintain a positive and encouraging attitude throughout the whole event. Most importantly you must have fun whilst competing… and wear sun cream even if it is cloudy!”
Q3. What are your thoughts on the new format introduced for the European Championships which mirrors the format of World Bowls Championships and Commonwealth Games?
A: “I believe it will benefit all the players involved as it allows them to understand the formats and gain experience at this level with the hope to play in further major events in the future.”
Q4. Some of the world’s best players will be competing at these Championships. How much are you looking forward to testing yourself against them?
A: “I enjoy these games, I enjoy being tested against my opponents as it builds on my experience playing under pressure. I am always learning more about how to improve my all-round game against experienced players.”
Q5. Tell us more about your work within the bowls industry, running your own bowls stockist company XX:20 alongside your dad?
A: “I started XX:20 with every intention to make a difference on the image of bowling. Bringing out new designs, more colours and more comfortable clothing, my focus is on the younger generation as they are our future. We will be at Ayr throughout the European Championships with new designs specifically for the event along with other items.”
Q6. Finally, do you have any personal targets or aspirations that you hope the team can achieve?
A: “We are all out there to go for gold, so that is my main target. For everyone in the team to medal would be a great achievement. I also hope to gain experience and make lifetime memories.”
We would like to wish Team Scotland the best of luck at the European Championships! Keep up to date with the teams results on our social media pages.