Indian Army takes lead in promoting Boccia sports

SPORTS DESK: The 7th Boccia National Championship, one of the landmark events for the Indian Army concluded at the Rajputana Rifles Regimental Centre, Delhi Cantonment on March 4. The Championship had begun on February 28th.

On the concluding day, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Mission Olympics Wing of the Indian Army and the Paralympics Committee of India for promoting the Paralympics movement in the country and providing a platform for the transition of specially-abled Indian Army soldiers into para-athletes.

Played with a ball, as a sport, Boccia is predominantly played by athletes with cerebral palsy but has now expanded to include athletes with other disabilities that affect players’ motor skills.

All athletes are required to be seated when releasing the ball and most play from a wheelchair. Athletes can throw, kick, or even use a ramp to get the ball where one wants it to go. At the Paralympic level, Boccia is one of only two sports that do not have an Olympic counterpart.

A spokesperson of the Indian Army informed that Indian Army had taken lead in promoting Boccia .

Stating that the Indian Army fielded a six members veteran team from the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre, Kirkee (Pune) in the National Championship, the spokesperson said “prior to commencement of the championship, all participants were classified into categories commensurate to their disability. Approximately seventy wheelchair bound para-athletes from 21 states participated in the championship. Students from the Indian Army run Asha Schools for the differently abled also witnessed the games”.

Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, General Officer Commanding Delhi Area was the Chief Guest for the closing and prize distribution ceremony organised on March 4th, 2023. The General Officer witnessed the final match and awarded medals and trophies to the winners.

The Boccia National Championship under the aegis of Headquarters Delhi Area had been a landmark event for the Army as it opens new avenues of participation in Boccia Sports for Indian Army’s serving soldiers and veterans, said the spokesperson.

The winners of the event would compete in the Asian Boccia Regional Championship in Hong Kong scheduled in May 2023. The Gold Medalist from the Hong Kong event would directly get a berth in the Para Olympics in Paris in September 2024, said the spokesperson. (TJV)