UK Championships showcase talent

Boccia UK’s Performance Director Greg Baker said the UK Championships, which drew to a close yesterday in Warwick, are a “brilliant showcase of the talent coming through.”

The best British boccia players came together to battle it out for UK titles. Paralympic gold medallist David Smith OBE took the top honours in the BC1 category while world number one Claire Taggart ended her fantastic season by winning her fourth title.

ln the BC4s, Stephen McGuire will have his name engraved on the trophy once again, after having to settle for bronze last year. And in the BC3s, Matt Berry triumphed in a close final with Will Arnott.

For Baker, it certainly augurs well to see athletes coming through the pathway, delivering solid performances and reaching the podium:

“Earlier this year, we set up the first Talent Transition Squad together with the home nation organisations. To see Matt Berry claiming gold in a very competitive BC3 category, Reshad Saraj taking silver in the BC2s, Tyler McLelland also winning silver and Sophie Newnham taking the bronze in the BC4s - this is so promising for the future of boccia in the UK.

“As well as launching our Talent Transition Squad, we have also continued to increase opportunities for athletes within the pathway this year. We’ve seen the likes of Penny Froude and Caroline Robinson competing at the international events which has been really important for the development of boccia in the UK.”

With an ambition to become one of the world-leading nations in the sport, Baker says tournaments like the UK Championships are vital for athletes:

“Events like this are a really good opportunity for athletes to play against those who compete at the highest levels. It’s a good chance for us to take a look at the talent coming through too.”

The event was this year hosted by Boccia England and supported by an army of volunteers and officials.