Top competitors in paralympic sport in London for nationals
Nearly 40 of the best athletes in the sport of Boccia are in London for the next four days.
They are competing at the Canadian Championships at the North London Optimist Community Centre.
Boccia is a serious game requiring intense expression.
“It’s much like curling without the ice”, explains Peter Leyser, the
executive director of Boccia Canada. “So it’s a game of skill and precision. The object of the game is to get your ball closer to the white ball or the jack.”
And while it may look familiar to the game it evolved from, Bocce, it is different in play and pronunciation.
Confusion regarding the latter can be a source of frustration for top players, including Paralympian Alison Levine.Alison McKee, of London, Ont. (in purple) competes at the Canadian Boccia Championships. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)
“It’s one of the things that makes me kinda mad, is it’s not Bocce, and we should be proud of our sport and call it what it is, which is ‘Boccia’”, she proclaims.
Levine, a Montrealer, is one of eight members of Canada’s national team expected to compete in London in advance of the Worlds next month.
But, there are also developing players.
Alison McKee, a Londoner, is among them.
A player and coach since 2007, this is the first time she has qualified for the nationals.
While her first game resulted in a loss, she is not disappointed.
“I’m just basically taking all the experience in, seeing where I place and then where I need to work on for future nationals.”
There are six divisions of play, ranked on ability.
Some competitors use a ramp to launch their balls.
But whether using sports tools or not, all have a chance to be spotted by top coaches.
“It’s a great opportunity, as national team coaches are here, and they’re always watching to see up-and-coming athletes. I’ve already spotted a few,” Levine shares.
The competition concludes here on Sunday with the pairs final.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.