The second ActivLives Inclusive Boccia Tournament was held in Stowmarket on the 28th of July. The event attracted 42 competitors, who played a total of 70 ends of boccia, over 26 matches, scoring 123 points. There were over 75 people who attended the event, during the course of the day.
Julie Stokes CEO said, “It was fantastic to see so many people of all abilities taking part in the Boccia Tournament, it’s a great sport for younger and older people to participate in, it’s fun, helps people engage with others and can be very competitive. A big thank you to Mike McCarthy for promoting Boccia in Suffolk and enabling people with disabilities to participate in a Paralympic sport.”
The sport of Boccia, which is played whilst sitting down, is particularly suitable for players with a disability, and will be part of the Paralympic programme being held next month in Paris.
The ActivLives tournament in Stowmarket, consisted of three divisions, where players competed in teams of three, in a round-robin format. The day concluded with a ‘spider decider’ mass team event, with all of the players involved.
“The atmosphere was brilliant throughout the event, with some very tight matches being played throughout the day”, said Mike McCarthy, from ActivLives.
“Many thanks to all of the athletes, to our brilliant team of volunteers and also to our supporting partners Special Olympics Suffolk, Special Olympics GB, the Suffolk Community Foundation, and our hosts for the day at Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre”.
If you would like to find out more about how to get involved with boccia in the Stowmarket, Ipswich or Felixstowe areas, please call ActivLives on 01473 345350 or email mike@activlives.org.uk. END
