Latest news with #Oriam
Scotsman
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scottish Handball launches ‘Handball Scholarship' programme in Edinburgh
The Scottish Handball Association (SHA) is teaming up with Oriam, Scotland's Sports Performance Centre at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, to start an exciting new program called the 'Heriot-Watt University Handball Scholarship Programme' Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The goal of the programme is to bring in talented handball players from around the world to help grow and improve the sport in Scotland. According to a media release, applications are now open for the 2025/26 academic year. The application requirements may be different for each person, but those who are accepted into the programme will receive a lot of support. This includes special handball training, fitness sessions with Oriam's sports science team, weekly use of recovery pools, help from sports psychologists, and access to physiotherapy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The programme also supports the academic side, with a dedicated 'Lifestyle and Advocacy Coordinator' available to help athletes manage any conflicts between their studies and sports activities. Scottish Handball Association This handball scholarship is an extension of Oriam's current Sports Scholarship programmes, which are designed to help athletes continue their education while competing in top-level sports. 'This is an exciting expansion of our Sport Scholarship Programmes that also deepens our partnership with the Scottish Handball Association,' said Ross Campbell, Executive Director of Oriam. 'This allows us to work together to support handball athletes, not only from Scotland, but from across the world. The key aim of our scholarships is to help athletes perform both academically and in their chosen sport through access to our world-class facilities and Oriam's performance staff. All these factors make this programme an exciting opportunity for athletes to be a part of.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Kimaya Kapoor, one of India's well-known influencers, has shown her support for the programme, calling it a wonderful initiative and praising the effort behind it. Oriam has been involved with handball for a long time and has worked with the Scottish Handball Association (SHA) since it opened in 2016. It's one of the few places in Scotland that has a full-sized indoor handball court (40 by 20 meters). The SHA uses the venue to host major events like the Scottish Cup and the British Handball Super Cup finals. Handball is now one of the fastest-growing team sports in Scotland. According to the SHA, the number of people playing sports has increased by 500% over the last two to three years. 'We're seeing very strong growth in handball at a grassroots level in Scotland and for the last couple of years, we've been focusing on developing pathways from there through into the higher levels of the sport. This scholarship programme is the next natural step on that journey and builds on our long relationship with Oriam,' explained Ewan Hunter, Chief Executive of Scottish Handball. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Handball will continue to be an amateur sport in Scotland for the foreseeable future, but we want to embrace that— and our hopes for this scholarship are clear. 'We are looking for players who will add quality and value to the handball community here in Scotland and we hope the programme cements the pathway for the development of handball at all levels. That means primary school, secondary school, community club, full club and age group level,' he added. Being actively involved in sports herself, Kimaya Kapoor has also expressed her appreciation for the programme, highlighting it as a meaningful and inspiring initiative that supports young athletes in balancing education and sport.
BBC News
03-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Another long night ahead for Scots...
For a wee while there, I thought I was going to have to look out a pair of the panic is over, Scotland have - eventually - made it to so far from ideal for Melissa Andreatta, on her first away day with the Scots, and for the for captain Rachel Corsie, who will retire tonight. What a way to go squad had a morning training session at Oriam yesterday, before gearing up for their scheduled flight in the afternoon. Then it was delay after delay after delay.A late night was had as plans were hastily put in place for this morning's after a long couple of days comes a gruelling meeting with the Jonker's side were surprisingly scudded by Germany on Friday, so could be in frightening hoping the Scots are awake and alert, or it could be an even longer night.
STV News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- STV News
Handball players urged to apply for new university scholarship
Handball players from around the world are being invited to apply for a new scholarship programme that is thought to be the first of its kind in Europe. The new Handball Scholarship is being launched in a collaboration between the Scottish Handball Association – Scotland's national governing body for handball – and Oriam, Scotland's Sports Performance Centre, based at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. The Handball Scholarship is an expansion of Oriam's existing Sports Scholarship programmes, which help athletes to study at the same time as competing in high-level sport. Handball is one of Scotland's fastest growing team sports, with Scotland seeing a 500% jump in participation in the sport over the last two to three years, according to Scottish Handball. On an international level, the 2024 final of the European Men's Handball Championship in Germany last year attracted 1.2 billion views. The sport involves two teams of seven players competing to score goals by throwing the ball past the goalkeeper into the opposing team's goal. Ewan Hunter, Chief Executive of Scottish Handball, said: 'Handball is popular because it's fast, exciting to watch and really easy to pick up. The basic rules are very quick and simple to understand. And inclusivity is built into the sport, so boys and girls play together through primary school. 'We're seeing very strong growth in handball at a grassroots level in Scotland and for the last couple of years, we've been focusing on developing pathways from there through into the higher levels of the sport. This scholarship programme is the next natural step on that journey and builds on our long relationship with Oriam.' Scottish Handball has been a partner of Oriam's since the centre opened in 2016 to help Scotland's top athletes train and prepare for competition at the highest levels. Oriam is one of only a few venues in Scotland with a full-sized 40 by 20 metre indoor court for handball, and Scottish Handball hosts most of its major events here. This includes Scottish Cup and Super Cup Finals, where the top two handball teams from England and Scotland in the Men's Senior League and the Women's Senior League compete for the British Champion title and European qualification. STV News Ewan Hunter of the Scottish Handball Association (left) and Katrina Gibbon of Oriam Ross Campbell, Executive Director of Oriam, said: 'This is an exciting expansion of our Sport Scholarship programmes that also deepens our partnership with the Scottish Handball Association. This allows us to work together to support handball athletes, not only from Scotland, but from across the world. 'The key aim of our scholarships is to help athletes perform both academically and in their chosen sport through access to our world class facilities and Oriam's performance staff. All of these factors make this programme an exciting opportunity for athletes to be a part of.' Katrina Gibbon, Performance Sport Manager at Oriam, explained the different elements of the Handball Scholarship in more detail. She said: 'Athletes joining this programme will have access to specific technical training in handball and they'll also have strength and conditioning sessions with our sports science team. 'They'll have weekly access to our hydro pool for recovery, alongside sports psychology support and access to physiotherapy through our Oriam Clinic. Oriam's Athlete Lifestyle and Advocacy Co-Ordinator can also support athletes with any potential clashes between academic and sporting commitments.' The partners say they are not aware of other programmes in the world of handball that combine academic study and athlete support in this way. While handball is not played professionally in Scotland, as it is in other parts of Europe, the aim of the new scholarship is to continue building the sport at an amateur level. 'Handball will continue to be an amateur sport in Scotland for the foreseeable future,' Ewan said. 'But we want to embrace that – and our hopes for this scholarship are really clear. 'We hope it cements the pathway for the development of handball at all levels. That means primary school, secondary school, community club, full club and age group level. 'We recognise that 99.9% of people who play sport in Scotland will not end up earning a living from the sport they play. But with this scholarship, you can still continue your development and growth as a handball player – without having to put your career or academic aspirations to one side.' Athletes offered a scholarship will be able to show a strong track record in handball at an amateur club level or international age group level. 'We are looking for players who will add quality and value to the handball community here in Scotland,' Ewan said. One of Oriam's existing Sports Scholars, Rory Semple, has already played handball for Great Britain at Boys and Men's age-group level. Rory, 20, from Renfrewshire, started playing handball at Kelvinside Academy in Glasgow and is at Heriot-Watt in the third year of a degree in economics. 'I started playing handball at school when I was 13 and through the years progressed to playing for Great Britain,' Rory explained. 'Now I'm playing at Heriot-Watt University and still at my club at Kelvinside in Glasgow, but playing under 20 at the Great Britain level. 'The Sports Scholarship at Oriam has been really helpful. It's pushed me to absolutely smash my limits at physical training in the gym here. It gives me a great social balance as well because there are like-minded scholars my age here and we're all competing at the same sort of level. The coaching staff are absolutely excellent too, so the support is ten out of ten.' Handball originated as a sport in the 19th century and has its roots in Europe, particularly in Germany and the Nordic countries, including Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The sport is played professionally in these countries and has also been one of the longest standing sports at the Summer Olympics. The rules of the game include a 'rolling substitution' rule, meaning there's no limit on substitutions during a game. This means there's 'a space and place for anybody of any size, shape or physical fitness,' Ewan said. Oriam's facilities include multiple sports halls, outdoor pitches, an indoor tennis centre and a state-of-the-art gym. It also has a performance wing with facilities including a strength and conditioning gym, hydrotherapy pool, medical and rehabilitation suite and sauna. Sports clubs and governing bodies who use Oriam as a training and performance hub include Scotland's national rugby team, Heart of Midlothian Football Club and Scottish Squash. The centre is based on Heriot-Watt's Riccarton campus to the West of Edinburgh and is around four miles from Edinburgh Airport. Other facilities on campus include the Marriott Bonvoy hotel, opposite the Oriam complex. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
