THE region’s disability development officer for sport Alan Oliver has been selected for the forthcoming para-badminton World Championships.

Alan, who was named Ettrick and Lauderdale’s Disability Sports Personality last year, was this week named in a seven-strong Scotland team to contest at Stoke Mandeville.

The Scots have not won a World gold since Steven Moodie’s STL3A singles triumph in Guatemala, four years ago, when he also scooped a bronze in the doubles. But hopes are high that the drought will end in September as Alan and his team-mates head south. Alan, who lives in Tweedbank, is the most decorated member of the current squad, having previously won gold, silver and bronze medals at European level as well as a World Championships silver medal in singles in 2011.

The 2012 European singles champion will play in the SL3 category in Stoke Mandeville, competing in men’s singles and also in the doubles with England’s Anthony Forster.

Anne Smillie, chief executive of Badminton Scotland, said: “We are sending an experienced team and we are hoping that they convert previous international and European success into podium finishes at these World Championships. Para-Badminton has a strong place in Scottish sport and will gain more and more importance now it is part of the Olympics from 2020 and rightly so.” Alan will be joined in the SL3 events by Nial Jarvie (Crieff) and Colin Leslie (Dalkeith), who have also both previously won medals at European level. Jarvie, a men’s doubles bronze medallist in 2010 and 2012 and Leslie, who won singles bronze and doubles silver in 2014, will play the SL3 singles and doubles, partnering Ireland’s Steven Halpin and Germanys Tim Haller respectively.

Scotland will also be represented in the SL4 singles and doubles by David Purdie (Largs).

South Queensferry’s Fiona Christie, who won women’s singles bronze at last years European Championships, will compete in the women’s singles, doubles and mixed in Stoke Mandeville. She partners England’s Owen Kilburn in the mixed and Laura-Lee Jenkins of Ireland in the women’s doubles and the pair will be aiming to improve on the bronze medal they won at the Carlton Irish Para-Badminton International women’s doubles earlier this year.

In the Short Stature events, Livingston’s Bobby Laing and Dalkeith’s Ross Foley will both play the singles while Laing also partners Ireland’s Andrew Moorcroft in the doubles.