Deserved recognition for service to sport

Cupars Bob Dick has been a long standing, respected figure in bowls coaching across the country. Picture by Alan Peebles.

Bob Dick (74) from Cupar has been awarded the accolade for his lifetime commitment and passion for coaching.

As a key figure in Scottish bowling both as a player and coach, Robert is an advanced coach with over 30 years’ experience. He also represented the country as a player on 22 occasions.

Bob’s first coaching role with the men’s Scotland national team was at the World Championships in 2002, and in 2004 he led them to claim the world title in Ayr.

He also led the Scotland Men’s Disability Triples Team to the gold medal at the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002. As a result of that success, Robert became the coach and manager for the Scotland men’s bowls team at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Commenting on his success, Bob said: “It was very early in the coaching scene that I became involved. I think when you start coaching, it’s to give something back to the game that you love.

“I was asked to manage the para-bowlers at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, 2002 – they won a gold medal in the physically disabled triples and in the mainstream pairs. I think two gold medals out of four was a really good achievement if I’m honest.

“It’s absolutely wonderful when you’re in a Commonwealth Games or International bowls with the para players – especially when your country does very well. There are always disappointments when you’re a coach, but there are also so many amazing moments.”

Bob’s involvement with disability bowls has been hailed as giving the sport discipline, credibility and status. Upon returning from the IBD World Championships in Australia in 2007 as head coach for Disability Bowls, Robert vowed to improve the quality and quantity of coaches training and attending major championships with the national team. With more and better qualified coaches working with the team in the run up to the 2011 World Championships in South Africa, the Scotland team came second in the world.

The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games were also a success for Bob, with his team winning silver in the mixed pairs B2/B3. He was also part of the team at the 2015 World Championships in New Zealand that saw Scotland come second in the medal table, winning six gold medals and four bronze.

Bob was nominated for the award by colleague Gary Fraser.

Gary added: “We nominated Robert for this award because of his dedication to the sport over a long period of time - we felt it was time for Robert to receive recognition for all his hard work.”