Boccia UK ends season on a high

Everything is going in the right direction for British boccia stars as the 2023 season draws to a close.

The Heraklion Challenger in Crete was the final tournament of the season for GB and proved to be a big moment for Stephen McGuire and Fiona Muirhead. The duo won gold in the BC4 Pair event, remaining undefeated across all four games.

It is Fiona’s first full season on the international circuit and her first-ever gold. But the pair have been building positive momentum all season, winning silver at the European Championships in August as another key highlight.

stephen and fiona win first-ever gold as a pair

Muirhead said: “It’s good to know the hard work is paying off. There are long hours training and travelling to do what we do and it makes it all worthwhile.”

Meanwhile McGuire, with a keen eye on the world rankings, explained:

“We did as much we could this season. At the beginning of the year, we were 14th in the world rankings and we’ve now halved that so things are coming together well.”

For Greg Baker, who came into post at Boccia UK last summer, the key aim has been to strengthen GB’s performance across all classifications, providing opportunities to players outside of the World Class Programme.

Boccia England’s Penny Froude joined the team in Crete and made it all the way to the bronze medal match, finishing fourth.

Penny froude finish fourth in her international debut

Scotland’s Kayleigh Haggo – who joined the World Class Programme earlier this year – also finished just outside of the medals but put in some strong performances.

On social media, Sally Kidson from Salisbury, who also finishes her first season with Boccia UK, posted:

“It’s been a great year of learning and if you’d told me this time last year that I’d get to play (and win) against the World Champion, the World Youth Champion, the World no 1 and the European Champion, I probably would have laughed at you, but here we are!”

She added: “Many thanks to the whole Boccia UK team – athletes, coaches and support staff – who I am proud to work with. And thanks to the National Lottery and UK Sport who fund the World Class Programme which allows us to do what we do.”

sally kidson finishes her first full season

Baker is feeling upbeat as the 2024 season approaches:

“There’s always more work to do but we’ve made some huge strides this season and we’re enjoying success at major events across the classifications. A number of players joined the World Class Programme this year and we’ve seen them grow in confidence with every tournament.

“Our aim is simply to be the best boccia nation in the world and we’ve got a brilliant team of athletes, coaches and support staff to achieve just that. I’m so proud of every single athlete who has competed for Boccia UK this season and also really pleased that we’ve been able to open up international opportunities for individuals outside of the World Class Programme. I can’t wait to see what we can all achieve together in 2024.”