Games bid boost

The 22-year-old from Eaglesfield is currently number five in Scotland and has just returned from the week-long event where he helped Scotland’s four-man team into fifth spot in the final table.
He won his singles match against a South African opponent and was also successful in his first doubles, although the Scots pair lost their second.
And he’s hoping the victories will bode well for his bid to take part in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Adelaide.
Calum, a product of the now defunct Eaglesfield Club and Dumfries Table Tennis Club where he still coaches, arrived back home from Surat on Sunday after a gruelling 28 hour flight.
The Edinburgh University student, who also a bronze medalist in the Six Nations singles event and held under 18 national titles and has represented Scotland all over the world, is now focusing on raising enough funding to allow him to continue training and competing and international level.
Following SportScotland’s withdrawal of support for table tennis in Scotland, Calum started a GoGetFunding page on the Internet in a bid to raise cash. He said: “I’ve been playing since I was nine and I am very passionate about the sport.
“My short term aim was to get into the Commonwealth Championships, but my main goal is to be selected for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.”
He added: “I have started this campaign to ensure I can achieve my goals and with funds, can give myself the best opportunity to compete at the necessary level, improving my game and improving my World and British rankings.”
Calum’s father David said: “Calum stands a good chance of getting to the World Championships but it is very expensive and each of those events costs between £600 and £700 to take part.
“But he’s devoted to the sport and played professionally for two years in Sweden with the number one club Eslov but couldn’t make enough live on.”