Commonwealth role

SHETLANDER Ross Smith has been confirmed as one of the physiotherapists for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The 34 year old has been assigned to work, on a voluntary basis, at the men’s and women’s hockey event in July.

Smith, who runs thriving Lerwick-based company Injury Shetland with his wife Bronwyn, heard late last week that his application had been successful.

The hockey events, featuring 10 teams, will take place at the National Hockey Centre at Glasgow Green, which has two water-based pitches.

Smith will be a “first contact” physio, though he is not sure yet whether he’ll be working pitch side or behind the scenes.

He will travel south early in the new year for specific training to gear him up for treating elite hockey players.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Smith said. “It’s the kind of thing you only do once in your career, so I’m pretty stoked to get the opportunity to physio at this kind of level.”

In all there were around 50,000 applicants for various volunteer positions at next year’s games. Around half of those were interviewed and 15,000 have now been accepted.

“To get through that is a pretty cool feeling,” Smith said. “If you don’t take the chance now, when’s it going to come back again?”