Boccia is a precision ball sport, similar to bocce, and related to bowls and pétanque. The name "boccia" is derived from the Latin word for "boss" – bottia. The sport is contested at local, national and international levels, by athletes with severe physical disabilities. It was originally designed to be played by people with cerebral palsy but now includes athletes with other severe disabilities affecting motor skills. In 1984, it became a Paralympic sport and as of 2020, 75 boccia national organizations have joined one or more of the international organizations. Boccia is governed by the Boccia International Sports Federation (BISFed) and is one of two Paralympic sports that have no counterpart in the Olympic program, although it is a Paralympic variant of bocce (boules).
Tom Leahy is a paralympic athlete from Ireland competing mainly in category BC2 Boccia events and F32 throwing events. Leahy competed in eight Paralympic Games. He won three Paralympic gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals.
BC1 is a boccia classification. The class is open to people with several different types of disabilities, including cerebral palsy. BC1 players have events open to them in boccia on the Paralympic Games program.
David John Smith is a Paralympian who made his Paralympic debut on the British boccia team that won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Paralympics. He competed for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics and did so winning Bronze in the Team BC1–2. and Silver in the BC1 individual event watched by a record Boccia crowd at the Excel arena. David competed for Paralympics GB for a third time in Rio where he won Gold in the individual BC1 event for the first time in his career. David held the 'triple crown' of major tournament wins following his win at the World Championships in Liverpool 2018 until the World Championships in Rio 2022 where he claimed Silver. Smith is now the holder of three Paralympic Gold Medals, after winning at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, making him the most decorated British Boccia player in history and the first BC1 to defend a Paralympic title, He was selected to carry the GB flag in the Tokyo 2020 closing ceremony.
The Boccia Individual BC1 event at the 2008 Summer Paralympics was held in the Olympic Green Convention Center on 7–9 September. The preliminary stages consisted of 4 round-robin groups of 5 competitors each. The top two players in each group qualified for the final stages. The event was won by Joao Paulo Fernandes, representing Portugal.
Pedro Cordero Martín is a Spanish boccia player. He represented Spain at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Paralympics, winning a bronze medal at both the 2004 and 2008 games in the BC1-BC2 boccia team event.
The mixed individual BC1 boccia event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 28 August and 1 September 2021 at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre. This event is a mixed event; 19 male and female players from 13 nations will be competing.
The mixed team BC1/BC2 boccia event in the 2020 Summer Paralympics was played between 2 and 4 September 2021. 40 athletes from 10 nations, each team containing 4 athletes, participated in the competition.
Zhang Qi is a Chinese boccia player competing in the BC1 classification.
The women's individual BC4 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 29 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The women's individual BC3 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 29 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The women's individual BC2 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 28 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The women's individual BC1 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 28 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The mixed pairs BC4 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 2 and 4 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena. Since this event is a mixed event, both genders, male and female, compete in the event.
The mixed pairs BC3 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 2 and 4 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena. Since this event is a mixed event, both genders, male and female, compete in the event.
The men's individual BC4 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 29 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The men's individual BC3 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 29 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The men's individual BC2 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 28 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The mixed team BC1–2 boccia event in the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be played between 2 and 4 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena. 36 athletes from 12 nations, each team containing 3 athletes, will participate in the competition.
Hiromi Endo is a Japanese boccia player. She is a bronze medalist at the Boccia World Championships and the Summer Paralympics.
