The communities of Clunderwen and Llandysilio teamed up this week to wish Jacob Thomas well as he prepared to leave home en route to the Olympic village and the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Jacob, who is competing in the BC3 Boccia as an individual and in the pairs, will begin his quest for medals tomorrow (Sunday September 2nd) and the local community showed their admiration for him with an impromptu open air demonstration of support on Thursday.

via Community waves off Jacob as he aims for Paralympic glory (From Western Telegraph).

Britain’s hopes of defending their boccia team gold title were thwarted at the Paralympics.

After beating Hong Kong 11-3 in the quarter-finals this morning, Nigel Murray, the mixed BC1-2 team captain, said his team needed to up their game by at least 10% to overcome Thailand in the semi-finals.

In the end they were thumped 18-1 by Thailand, ranked second in the world, at east London’s ExCeL arena.

The team, including Daniel Bentley, David Smith and Zoe Robinson, did not live up to expectations, according to 48-year-old Murray.

“We are all frustrated,” he said. “We’re upset because we know we are a lot better than that, but once it has gone there is not a lot we can do about it.”

Britain are now in Tuesday’s bronze medal play-off against Portugal, while Thailand face China for gold.

via GB miss out on boccia gold match | Orange UK.

Nigel Murray’s Great Britain mixed BC1-2 team saw their chances of retaining Paralympic gold extinguished on Monday – although they could still leave London 2012 with bronze in the boccia.

The 48-year-old won gold alongside Daniel Bentley, Zoe Robinson and David Smith in Beijing four years ago but will not be repeating the feat on home turf.

The quartet started the day well by overcoming Hong Kong 11-3 in the quarter-finals but they struggled when play recommenced yesterday afternoon.

Great Britain were no match for a dominant Thailand team ranked second in the world, going down to a heavy 18-1 defeat in the semi-final – much to Murray’s disappointment.

“We are all frustrated,” he said. “We’re upset because we know we are a lot better than that, but once it has gone there is not a lot we can do about it.”

Thailand face China for mixed BC1-2 gold, while Murray’s team take on Portugal for bronze Tuesday morning.

via Paralympics 2012: Nigel Murray’s boccia team lose out on golden chance | Sport | The Guardian.

Great Britain’s defence of the BC1/BC2 team Paralympic title came to an abrupt end as they were beaten 18-1 by Thailand in the Boccia semi-finals.

Nigel Murray, Daniel Bentley and David Smith shipped six unanswered points by the halfway mark.

Despite introducing Zoe Robinson into the action, the hosts could do nothing to rein in their runaway opponents.

There was no final place for British brothers Peter and Stephen McGuire either after they lost 3-2 to Brazil.

The brothers, silver medallists at the 2010 world championships, were level at 2-2 in the final six-throw end, but will have to settle for a bronze at best after Eilseu Dos Santos and Jose Pinto Dirceu grabbed a decisive point late on in their BC4 pairs clash.

Boccia is a sport of such fine margins.

via BBC Sport – Paralympics 2012: GB Boccia team lose 18-1 to Thailand.

Britains push for boccia medals continues today as the McGuire brothers play off for bronze against Canada, after losing their semi-final against Brazil yesterday.Click here to see Boccia: Everything you need to know graphicThe precision sport, fairly similar to bowls, is one of the least known in the Paralympics but it is one at which Britain usually excels. Team GB won gold and silver medals in boccia in Beijing and could deliver more success in London in the pairs BC4 event at the ExCeL Centre.Yesterday Stephen and Peter McGuire lost their semi-final 3-2 to the world No 1 pair of Dirceu Jose Pinto and Eliseu dos Santos. The Brazilians will face the Czech Republic in this afternoons gold-medal match, after the McGuire brothers play Canada for the bronze at 9am. There is also a British team still competing in the mixed team BC1-2 event.

via Boccia: McGuires fight for podium with Canada – Paralympics – Olympics – The Independent.

The London 2012 Paralympic boccia got under way on Sunday, a sport for disabled athletes that players say combines the tactics of chess and the precision of snooker.

Similar to boules, boccia is one of the few Paralympic sports with no Olympic equivalent, and the crowd at the ExCeL exhibition centre’s South Arena 1 were soon getting into the action despite many having no prior knowledge of the game.

“Boccia is a tactical sport like chess, snooker and boxing rolled into one,” said Ireland’s Padraic Moran, following a 17-3 defeat in the team event to world number one South Korea.

“So you don’t really play boccia, you play a mixture of other games. That’s why it’s a difficult game and such a good sport,” he told AFP.

“And this is the best job in the world to have,” he added.

Boccia players throw, kick or use a ramp to propel a ball from a seated position so that it lands as close as possible to the “jack” target ball.

The leather balls containing plastic granules are designed to roll, although skilful players can make them bounce.

In each “end” in the match, the winning side scores one point for each ball they got closer to the jack than their opponents.

All seven medal events are mixed gender and feature individuals, pairs or teams.

via AFP: Boccia makes its bow at London 2012.

The scene that greets spectators as they enter the boccia hall is initially a confusing one. Six matches are taking place at once, in a variety of events. Some are being contested by pairs, others between teams of three. In one corner, Great Britain are taking on Slovakia. In another, Great Britain are taking on Greece. Meanwhile, Canada appear simultaneously to be taking on Thailand and South Korea. It is all most baffling.

via Paralympics 2012: Boccia makes its bow at London Games – Telegraph.

County Hall sports development officer Pete Edwards and equality officer Maggie Else will be National Technical Officials for Boccia at London 2012 and will take part in activities such as line judging and timing.

Boccia has been a Paralympic sport since 1984, and can be played at an elite level by people with some of the most testing disabilities.

Boccia players, who compete individually or in teams, throw leather balls (either red or blue) as close as they can to a white jack target ball to get as close to the jack as possible to win the game. Players with severe disabilities use a ramp as an assistive device.

Pete (57), said: “We are looking forward to it and so proud that Boccia will be on the world stage as we take part in officiating at these games. It is the icing on the cake for us to be taking part in officiating and helps promote the sport widely to others.”

Pete, coaches Boccia at Rainworth Leisure Centre each week and volunteers many hours to the sport which he first got involved in more than 25 years ago.

Maggie, works in equality at County Hall, and is a Director of Boccia England, a national charity and the governing body of the sport whose headquarters are in Nottingham. She said: “It will be an honour to be involved in officiating at the Paralympics and I am looking forward to it.”

via Council backs Mansfield and Ashfield Paralympic swimmers Charlotte Henshaw and Ollie Hynd – Local – Mansfield and Ashfield Chad.

The Paralympic sport of Boccia is a popular one in the South with many talented players coming from our region.

Three of the members of the ParalympicsGB team attended a college in Hampshire where previous medal winners were also alumni. Our reported Penny Silvester has been to meet some players of the game, and ParalympicsGB Boccia coach Barry Bowden, who explains the skills involved.

via Paralympic preview: Boccia | Meridian – ITV News.

David Smith, who is studying Aerospace Engineering, is representing Great Britain in Boccia. Aged 14, he became the youngest ever player to secure the title of British Champion and he was crowned World Champion at the age of 18. He is currently ranked as the world no. 2 and was part of the gold medal winning BC1/BC2 Team at his first Paralympic Games inBeijing 2008.

David said: “I am happy to have been selected for the London 2012Paralympic Games but my job is only just about to begin and I hope when the job is done I can look back and say: “I did my best!”

via News Wales > Sport > Swansea Paralympians make their bow.