India’s Boccia Team is ready for 2019 Dubai Boccia Regional Open tournament

A four member Boccia team from India is all set to take part in an international event. BISFED 2019 Dubai Boccia Regional Open is happening soon and some very talented Boccia players will represent India at the tournament.

Ajeya Raj, Nivran Pama, Brijesh Yadav and K Annapurna are part of India’s Boccia team and will take part in two categories- BC3 and BC4. The categories are based on the level of disability.

Boccia international Sports Federation-BISFED 2019 Dubai Boccia Regional Open will be held from 14 December to 20 December.

The four players are wheelchair users and had shown their mettle at the national events before being selected for the international event.

“I have been practicing and playing club throw for the past 1 and a half year, And now I have started to play Boccia and have been enrolled into the first Indian Boccia team. I would like to achieve a medal in Boccia, so as to make my country and everyone else proud, who all have been showing their immense faith in me”, says Nivran Pama

Boccia India federation has been supporting the players and training them for the upcoming tournament. To help the players improve their gaming skills, recently a National Boccia Coaching camp was held in Chandigarh.

The camp has helped us improve our game and gain more confidence. Boccia India federation has provided the players with immense support and we are hopeful of making the country proud. Ajeya Raj, Boccia player

Brijesh Yadav is a retired army soldier who sustained spinal cord injury during a wrestling match in an Army Championship. Brijesh Yadav started playing Boccia as a quadriplegic athlete and won many accolades not just in Boocia but also in other fields such as Club Throw, Table Tennis and Discus Throw.

Brijesh Yadav says, “All we disabled athletes need is government interest financial support and sponsorship from private organisation to excel in various field and to make our country proud and be a part of development of our country and bring our country pride by winning the events tournaments and earn self-respect of own self too.”

Boccia is a Paralympic game and a precision ball sport played by athletes with physical disabilities. It was originally designed to be played by people with cerebral palsy and is played by athletes with other disabilities affecting motor skills. There are 13 balls, six each of red and blue and one white in colour. Players have to try and put all their balls close to the white ball.

Jaspreet Singh Dhaliwal is the Coach of Boccia India team and has been a constant source of inspiration and guidance to the players.

K. Annapurna is currently working at the Karnataka legislative assembly secretariat as an assistant. she attributes her Boccia skills to the help received from the coach and says, ” I participated in boccia game, I am happy that I win a medal in national level and they selected me for Dubai 2019 championship. I thanks to Jaspreet sir and their encouragements. I am very happy that I represent my country.”