The first Euro Super League of the year returns to the NCA this weekend with teams from Korea, Sweden and Norway competing for the title against a newly boosted British Curling squad.
As part of the programme’s ongoing development of its Paralympic squad, three players have been called up by British Curling’s Paralympic Head Coach Sheila Swan to join the ranks until the end of this first Paralympic season building towards Milan-Cortina in 2026.
Two of those took part in the squad’s first trans-Atlantic trip in several years last month, Martin Sutherland who was getting his first taste of international action but suffered an injury that has ruled him out this weekend and Gary Logan who, along with two-time Paralympian Robert McPherson, is returning to the squad. 
Along with Logan, McPherson was a member of the Scotland team that won silver at the World Championships when it was hosted in Stirling in 2019 and he also competed at the subsequent World Champs before leaving the programme two years ago due to health issues, but he has returned revitalised.
“I had my gall bladder removed two years ago and since then I feel as though I have gone from strength to strength,” said the 54 year old from Bellshill.
“I’m also type two diabetic, but my sugar levels are now the best they have ever been.
“So, it was good to have a break from elite curling but I still competed in the British Open and the Stirling International last year when they were short of a team. To be honest it was quite odd competing in that and not being part of the British Curling squad for that event.
“It gave me the bug again and made me realise what I was missing and I really wanted to get back and be part of the squad again.
“Things have obviously changed a bit since I have been away from the elite curling scene in that Mixed Doubles has now been included into our Paralympic programme and I really love that discipline. It is really good to be able to mix things up a bit from the team game and is a good new challenge for us all.
“It is also nice to be returning to a squad with fresh blood, including Meggan (Dawson-Farrell) and also Jo (Butterfield) who I helped coach in their early curling taster sessions so it will be really great to see how they have developed as curlers since their first days on ice and it will be brilliant to be competing alongside them now. 
“Martin (Sutherland) is another fresh face to the scene, so these are all great additions to a growing squad which will hopefully go from strength to strength in this cycle.
“Given my background and experience hopefully I also bring something different and although I am on board for the rest of this season, hopefully I can go the distance in this cycle. I would love to give Sheila a bit of a headache around selection time for the Worlds coming up.
“For the first time in my career there are two opportunities – for the team and Mixed Doubles disciplines and I hope to do well this weekend and in training for the coming weeks to work my way back in so I might get considered.
“That is the wish and I know everyone will be feeling the same, so this is a great chance to put ourselves out there this weekend and see what we can do with some good overseas competition on our home ice.”
Their coach is looking forward to seeing the impact of increasing competition for places at an event which features Asian visitors to a wheelchair curling event at the National Curling Academy for the first time.
“This event provides us with ideal preparation ahead of the World Wheelchair Curling Championships given the relatively limited number of scheduled wheelchair tournaments at this time of year,” said Swan.
“We are also delighted that in addition to our regular visitors to the NCA we welcome Korea to the tournament this weekend and we hope to encourage more nations to participate in the future. 
“Given the importance of our World Champs in our Paralympic cycle I am delighted that we have new members in the squad which will continue to drive our development of talent on the programme.”
One game per session will be live streamed on @RecastTV
Schedule:
Friday 13 January
15.30 – KOR v NOR (Sheet C) GB V SWE (Sheet D)
19.30 – GB v KOR (Sheet C) SWE v NOR (Sheet D)
Saturday 14 January
15.00 – KOR v SWE (Sheet C) NOR v GB (Sheet D)
19.30 – SWE v GB (Sheet C) KOR v NOR (Sheet D)
Sunday 15 January
09.30 – NOR v SWE (Sheet C) GB v KOR (Sheet D)
14.30 – GB v NOR (Sheet C) KOR v SWE (Sheet D)
Results:
Draw 1
KOR - NOR 6-7
GB - SWE 8-6 (EE)
Draw 2
GB - KOREA 6-5
SWEDEN – NORWAY 3-10
Draw 3
KOR – SWE 4-5
NOR - GB 10-5
Draw 4
SWE v GB 6-5
KOR v NOR 7-6
Draw 5
NOR v SWE 7-4
GB v KOR 6-3
Final LIVE *streamed game coming up this afternoon:
14.30 – GB v NOR* (Sheet C) KOR v SWE (Sheet D)
Watch it on Recast:https://watch.recast.tv/user/64jxA
British Curling Squad:
Charlotte McKenna
Gary Logan
Gregor Ewan
Hugh Nibloe
Jo Butterfield
Meggan Dawson-Farrell
Robert McPherson
Please click here for the Draw.
Images: PPA/Graeme Hart.
#curling #ESL2023
