Solid season start for GB Boccia squad

/

Boccia UK opened its 2025 season with a solid performance at the Pajulathi Challenger in Finland last week.

The squad has returned home with four medals, with Paralympic gold medallist Stephen McGuire MBE taking top honours in the BC4 category and demonstrating continued form since Paris.

It was a momentous occasion for Sally Kidson who claimed her first ever international, individual medal, collecting the bronze after a very strong week on court:

“It’s so hard playing for a medal or going home empty-handed. Internationally, I’ve been in five 3rd/4th playoffs – four of them individuals – so to finally get one over the line was really important for me and it’s good momentum ahead of the Europeans.

It was the squad’s first tournament since the death of two team-mates in December, Matt Berry and Sally’s BC3 Pairs partner, Will Arnott:

“It was really emotional for me to not have Will, my closest team-mate, there to witness it but I know he’d be incredibly proud.”

David Smith OBE is aiming for a lighter season before the build up to the LA Paralympics begins in earnest. He claimed silver, after being defeated by Tomas Kral in the final.

Following the 2024 Paris Games, Smith is making some technical changes to his game, switching up his set of balls and adjusting to a new boccia chair:

“After 11 years, two Paralympic gold medals and two World titles, it was time to retire my boccia chair. It’s a bit like picking up a brand new snooker cue, it takes time to adjust and I only had two weeks before Finland so I think I saw that in my performance, especially when we were playing long.

“In training, it felt fine because the body’s relaxed but when you’re in competition, under pressure because each shot matters, it’s a different story. I’ve got some time now to adjust and tweak things before the Europeans in July. 2025 will be a lighter season for me, I’m making some technical changes so it’s pointless to get too het up on results.”

Reshad Saraj will be celebrating after winning bronze. The BC2 player from Pinner has very recently joined the World Class Programme and this was a solid start, out-manoeuvring Greece’s Emmanuel Kokonos 3-2 in the bronze play-off.

The BC1/2 Team saw David Smith, Kayleigh Brown and Reshad Saraj win all five pool matches, with impressive margins:

“We played some really good stuff and other times not so good,” says Smith.  “The issues relating to my chair continued into the Team event and I couldn’t play as consistently or as precisely, as I’d have liked, especially in longer areas.

“I thought Reshad did a really good job overall –and he was consistent throughout. Kayleigh also performed well. We’re trying to have a bit of fun with it and not get too involved with the results. We’re seeing how we get on before Kayleigh goes on maternity leave and then we can focus on the Worlds next year.”

It was also a welcome return to court for Fiona Muirhead in the BC4s, following injury and Robyn McBride in the BC3s, the latter claiming two victories in the pool matches.