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
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.