Boccia medallists to get Freedom of the Borough
The Council has announced its intention to award Freedom of the Borough to Eastleigh’s two Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists. The decision to award honour -the highest that the borough can bestow – is set to be agreed at a Full Council meeting later this month.
Mayor of Eastleigh Councillor Rupert Kyrle made the announcement at the borough’s recent Olympic and Paralympic celebration event at Fleming Park that was attended by the borough’s London 2012 athletes, games makers, officials and torch bearers. Dani King and David Smith are set to receive the Freedom of the Borough in recognition of their dedication and services to their sport.
David Smith won a Paralympic gold medal in Boccia in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing and further silver and bronze medals in Boccia at London 2012.
Promising BC4 boccia player chosen for Bursary award
Promising Crossgates BC4 boccia player Kieran Steer was chosen for the David McCrae Bursary, given to support young Scottish athletes with a disability with the potential to succeed on the international stage.
Kieran has made great strides forward in the short period of time he has been playing sport. He attended the GB Boccia Championships for the first time in 2012, acquitting himself well and only losing in the bronze medal play off to Paralympian Peter McGuire.
Earlier this year he won the 2012 British Junior Boccia title after only dropping one point throughout the competition.
DEMAND – the Boccia ramp maker gets a helping hand
DEMAND, which has its northern office at New Mill Road, helps people with disabili
ties who need bespoke equipment to help them with their everyday lives.
Its products range from sprung crutches to help a disabled child play football and washing lines for wheelchair users to special ramps to enable disabled people to play Boccia, a paralympic ball game.
via Allsops Ltd provides a helping hand to disability charity DEMAND
Paralympics raises interest in Boccia
The London 2012 effect has particularly assisted sports with previously low profiles, for example sitting volleyball. Neither British side got beyond the quarter-finals, but there was huge interest in the sport, especially the participation of Martine Wright, who lost her legs in the London bombings of 2005. Volleyball England said it has seen “overwhelming” interest, with three new clubs planned and the modern day popularity barometer of Facebook page “likes” for the sport rising from 850 to 7,000-plus.
It is a similar story for the Paralympic-specific pursuit of boccia, a bowls-like sport with various formats catering to a great range of impairments, where British athletes won two medals. “There’s definitely been an increase in general interest and the number of people wanting to play boccia since the Paralympics,” said Rachel Crack from Boccia England. “The success we got with a couple of medals has seems to have really put Boccia on people’s radar.”
And whether its boccia or one of the other disciplines, surely more than one of the British stars of the Rio 2016 Paralaympics will have been inspired to take up sport by London’s triumphant summer.
via Paralympics boom echoes around British sport | Sport | guardian.co.uk.
CHEO patients meet ‘Awesome’ Boccia player
‘AWESOME’
For Jake Periard, a student at Farley Mowat Public School in Nepean, in CHEO for an eye infection, the experience was “awesome.”
He was enthralled by Paralympic boccia player Marco Dispaltro’s equipment as they plotted where to find a quiet hallway to share a quick demonstration.
“Marco was very cool,” he said. “I had to stay in bed all day yesterday. Today was the funnest day of my life.”
via CHEO patients get Olympic visit – News – By Brier Dodge Nepean/Barrhaven Local Community News.
Banners out for boccia brilliance
Bethesda boccia ace Jacob Thomas was given a hero’s welcome on his return to Pembrokeshire College.
Jacob represented Team GB in singles and doubles boccia at the London 2012 Paralympics and was greeted by fellow students, staff, carers and former teachers with a specially made banner.
Jacob said: “I’d like to say thank you to the college for all their support. The experience was fantastic.”
Seventeen-year-old Jacob said of his Paralympic debut: “The noise and all the support was incredible. I was really proud to be out there representing my country.
via Banners out for boccia brilliance (From Western Telegraph).
Korea: Coach to be probed for abusing disabled
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) plans to investigate alleged abuse of disabled athletes by a coach and violations of their human rights.
The commission announced the plan Tuesday after claims were made that Kim Jin-han, had beaten athletes and thrown equipment at them during the Aug. 29 to Sept. 9 London 2012 Paralympics.
Ji Kwang-min, captain of the national Boccia team filed a complaint with the rights panel last month.
He claimed Kim also beat other Boccia players over the past two years.
The coach also faces allegations of extorting money from his athletes to cover training expenses for the sport.
“The victim is a physically challenged person who needs help, not abuse, for his athletic performance,” the NHRC said.
Interview with Boccia Athlete David Smith
Q Your name?
A My name is David Smith.
Q And your sport?
A And my sport, Boccia.
Q How did you get into Boccia?
A It started about 6 years ago when I was at my school, secondary school, in a PE lesson because I was at a specialist school. They were doing Boccia and I just started playing and have been playing ever since really.
Q What do you enjoy most about it?
A I like the fact that not many people know about it and that its up and coming, and I can be part of something growing.
Q What does a typical day in your sport involve?
A A typical day, in competition, is when you get up, maybe go down, walk down to the venue, probably play your game, drink as much as possible, watch other players, possibly support your team mates and try and relax so far and enjoy the environment you are in.
Q How do you relax when you are not training or competing?
A I tend to listen to music, I also don’t mind playing on the old computer games now and again or watching TV.
Claygate team wins annual boccia tournament
A team from Claygate’s centre for the community recently won the Mayor of Elmbridge’s annual boccia tournament, which took place at the Thames Ditton centre for the community in Mercer Close.
via Elmbridge Today – Claygate team wins annual boccia tournament.
South Korea promises “strongest action” against Boccia coach accused of abuse
South Korea’s Chef de Mission at the London 2012 Paralympics has promised that allegations of abuse made by the country’s boccia captain against a coach will be fully investigated after a disciplinary committee was set-up following further claims of violence against members of the team.
It has been revealed that 31-year-old Ji Kwang-min (pictured) was the South Korean who had made an official complaint against Kim Jin-han, who he alleged abused him during London 2012, including hitting him on the head with a light stand.
The family of Ji, who has cerebral palsy, also claimed that 42-year-old Kim had beaten him regularly since 2010 and had stolen up 1 million won (£550/$900/€700) at a time from him on several occasions.
news from the world of Boccia 