New medals for Rio 2016 Paralympics
Via the International Paralympic Committee
With 85 days to go until the Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games on Tuesday (14 June), the medals which athletes will compete for this September have been revealed by the Organising Committee and Brazilian Mint.
In addition to featuring braille, the Paralympic Games medals include a special innovation; they have a tiny device inside which makes a noise when the medal is shaken, allowing visually impaired athletes to know if they are gold, silver or bronze (gold has the loudest noise, bronze the quietest).
The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games will feature 4,350 athletes who will compete in 528 medal events across 22 sports. They will take place between 7-18 September.
Remembering London 2012
With Rio 2016 fast approaching, we want to take a look at some of the more memorable Boccia moments from London 2012!
We can’t wait for more of the same this September when the Boccia tournament begins on the 3rd of September.
Drum roll please….New Boccia Ramps!
Very shortly on Boccia News we’ll be revealing two new Boccia Ramps! These new LITE and PRO-X ramps are designed for greater accuracy and enjoyable play, we also think they look incredible!
Watch this space for the big reveal and be the first to get your hands on these new and improved models!
Results from Boccia Championship Turkey
Via Aksaray
Turkey Physically Disabled Sports Federation of Turkey organized by the Physically Disabled Boccia Championships, was held in Aksaray, with the participation of 76 athletes from 19 provinces.
Turkey Physically Disabled Sports Federation deputy president İlhami Kılınçkaya dispersible in his speech at the opening of the sports champion in the living room, boccia, he says that there is a sport for people with severe disabilities.
Boccia’s also a Kılınçkaya indicating that the paralympic branch like other branches, “Engel you have a sport that we do whatever. Already we are aimed at people with disabilities, to both improve themselves with sporting activities, as well as in the social sense is to allow them to express themselves much more comfortable,” he said .
athletes Turkey Physically Disabled winning then the championship is experiencing the fun and challenging competition from each other Sports Federation deputy president İlhami Kılınçkaya, Youth Services and Sports Provincial Director Cuneyt Alkan, Physically Disabled Provincial Representative our Hamdi Turan, Turkey Physically Disabled Sports Federation Vice President Selim Özen and by our branch managers trophies and medals were given. In addition to all the athletes and coaches who participated in the tournament unseeded we were given participation medals.
Turkey Physically Disabled Sports Federation deputy president İlhami Kılınçkaya our Provincial Director Cuneyt Alkan and Physically Disabled Provincial Representative our Hamdi Turan boccia was presented a plaque of appreciation for the support they have given to the sport.
The Provincial Director Cuneyt Alkan “our disabled brothers that we are always with them every time I expressed.Paralympic Centre open our doors to them until the end, we are ready to support any subject, “he said.
Kılınçkaya also come to our country in Aksaray 74 candidates for the coach and referee training boccia that the US gave a plaque of appreciation to all three trainers.
Turkey Physically Disabled Sports Federation by paralympic boccia before the championship in the direction of development in our country of the sport for two days in Aksaray US three trainers Mark Floraswick, Johnson, Harold and given coach and referee training by Dianne Fowler.
on winning the championship teams and athletes are as follows;
individual:
BC 1 classification: 1 Fatih Akkan, 2 Birhan Erdal 3. Sule Turkoglu
BC 2 classification: 1. Mustafa Ozkan, 2. Propose Sen, 3 Furkan Kuzucu in
BC 3 classification: 1. Yasar Cinar, 2 Yavuz Acar, 3. Celestial Pala
BC 4 classification: 1. Salim Yalcin Kaya, 2 Rabia Nur Poyraz 3 Fulya Vural
BC 5 classification: 1. Erkan Koç, Mustafa Demir, 2, 3 Murat Yildirim
Team:
BC 1 classification: 1. Izmir Metropolitan 2. Izmir Gaziemirsp, 3rd Sivas Disabled Şekerspor
BC 3 classification: 1. Izmir Metropolitan and Kocaelispor, 2 Samsunspor, 3 Kayserispor
BC 5 classification: 1. Sivas Gençlikspor 2. Sivas Disabled Şekerspor
Boccia venue for Rio 2016 unveiled
Via the International Paralympic Committee
Brazilian boccia star Maciel Santos hailed the new venue for Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, as it was unveiled on Saturday (14 May).
“For me the Paralympic Games start now,” the London 2012 gold medallist said during the inauguration of the venue.
Carioca Arena 2, which will also stage judo and wrestling during the Olympic Games, was unveiled in the Barra Olympic Park. Santos, who won gold in the individual BC2 category in London, and will compete at the new arena in September, has already started to envisage stepping out in front of a home crowd.
“You see yourself, the court, the crowd, your relatives, the Brazilian fans. It will be like how we saw in London. I hope the Brazilian public really gets behind this Paralympic sport,” he said.
Brazilian Olympic champion Sarah Menezes was also excited by the opening of the new arena.
“To see everything ready like this is even more motivation. It’s a sign that it’s nearly here, it’s close,” said the gold medallist in the up to 48kg class at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. “It’s good to know that everything is on track, that the structural things are being sorted.”
The keys to the new venue were handed over from Rio mayor Eduardo Paes to Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman. Also present was Christope Dubi, the International Olympic Committee’s sports director, and Brazil’s new sports minister Leonardo Picciani, on his first official engagement.
Dubi was full of praise for the new venue, saying: “When you see an arena like this, everyone [involved] should be proud and I hope they are.”
After the Games, Carioca Arena 2 will become a training facility for weightlifting, wrestling, badminton, fencing, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline gymnastics and table tennis. It will comprise part of the Olympic Training Centre, the main sporting legacy of the Rio 2016 Games.
GB medals at the BISFed World Open Montreal
Via GB Boccia
Jamie McCowan beat Patrick Wilson in a tight match in the semi final of the individual BC3 competition having already overcome him in the pool stage. McCowan ended up with silver after a 6-2 loss to Korea’s Howon Jeong in the final. Wilson took bronze after a 5-2 win over Russia’s Aleksandr Legostaev.
The individual competition had followed a strong BC3 Pairs run for the British duo which ended with a bronze medal. McCowan and Wilson met the Korean pair in the semi and lost 4-1 but beat Russia by the same score to take home a medal.
Will Hipwell in the individual BC2 and Jamie Docherty in the individual BC4 were the other GB players at the event but neither made it out of their pool.
Ones to watch in boccia
A rundown on the athletes battling for the boccia podium at Rio 2016 from the International Paralympic Committee.
Han Soo Kim playing Boccia against Scott Mccowan at London 2012 © • Getty Images
Here are the top athletes going for gold in boccia at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
Daniel Perez (NED)
Perez is currently the world No. 1 in the BC1 individual and will be looking for his first major title at Rio 2016, which would be his Paralympic debut.
In the World Championships in 2014, Perez lost his semi-final to Great Britain’s David Smith, leaving with the bronze medal. In 2015, Perez won gold at the World Open in Poznan, Poland. Perez will try to bounce back though after a disappointing performance from March’s 2016 BISFed Individual World Championships, where he left without a medal.
David Smith (GBR)
Smith won individual silver and team BC1-2 bronze at his home Paralympics in London 2012. In 2013, he won the European title and the following year, he added the world title in Beijing. He finished 2015 ranked second in the world. After the 2016 World Championships in Beijing, China, Smith will be looking to show he can do better following the individual bronze medal finish.
Dirceu Jose Pinto (BRA)
Since Beijing 2008, Pinto has dominated the BC4 in both the individual and pairs. But the class lately has proven to be unpredictable ahead of September’s Paralympics. At the 2016 World Championships in March, Pinto was knocked out early by Hong Kong’s current No. 1 Yuk Wing Leung. Still, Pinto looks to defend the gold medal he won from London 2012, as well as the BC4 pairs gold medal that he won with teammate Eliseu Dos Santos.
Han Soo Kim (KOR)
At London 2012 in the BC3 individual event, Kim lost the semi-finals to Ye Jin Choi, who went on to win the gold. However, in 2014 he won the individual BC3 world title and finished 2015 ranked third in the world. He took bronze in the 2016 Individual World Championships.
Jacob Thomas (GBR)
Thomas made his Paralympic debut in London 2012, and that is where the young athlete got the ball rolling. At the 2013 European Championships in Guimaraes, Portugal, he obtained his first major medal with bronze in the pairs. He also took bronze at the 2014 Individual World Championships and has progressed to No. 1 in the individual BC3 class. Although he did not compete in March’s World Championships, he looks to establish why he is ranked at the top of his class at Rio 2016.
Maciel Sousa Santos (BRA)
Santos has consistently been among the top of his class, both in individual and pair events. At London 2012, Santos topped the BC2 class to win his first Paralympic gold and took bronze at the 2014 World Championships. He was in the Brazilian team that won gold in the team BC1-2 event at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games, where he also took the individual title. However, in the 2016 World Championships, he finished a disappointing eighth but looks to show why he is still the top one come Rio 2016.
Marco Dispaltro (CAN)
At the 2011 Parapan American Games, Dispaltro took silver in the individual BC4 event and was part the pair that claimed bronze at London 2012. He finished 2015 ranked second in the world but faces stiff competition in the BC4, with rivals such as Leung and Pinto in the mix.
Yuk Wing Leung (HKG)
Rio would be Leung’s fourth Paralympic Games. Leung made his mark in Athens 2004, where he won gold in the BC4 individual and pairs events, but he has not won a Paralympic title since.
The current world No. 1 and Laureus Sports Award nominee finished the 2016 World Championships with bronze and looks to take a title in Rio 2016.
GB Boccia select squad for European Team and Pairs Championships
The Great Britain squad for the 2015 Boccia European Team and Pairs Championships, taking place on the 25th and 26th of July at Surrey Sports Park, has been announced.
Part of the UK Sport Road to Rio series, the Championships see the top eight sides in Europe in each classification travel to Guildford. The winners of the BC1/BC2 Team, BC3 Pairs and BC4 Pairs events will all win a direct qualification slot for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
The Great Britain squad is:
BC1/BC2 Team
BC1 David Smith (Eastleigh, Hampshire, living in Swansea)
BC2 Nigel Murray MBE (Leamington Spa, Warwickshire)
BC2 Joshua Rowe (Perth, Scotland)
BC2 Claire Taggart (County Antrim, Northern Ireland)
BC3 Pair
BC3 Jacob Thomas (Pembrokeshire, Wales)
BC3 Scott McCowan (South Ayrshire, Scotland)
BC3 Patrick Wilson (Edinburgh)
BC4 Pair
BC4 Stephen McGuire (Hamilton)
BC4 Kieran Steer (Fife)
BC4 Evie Edwards (Elmsett, Suffolk)
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