Boccia UK Performance Director Greg Baker plans “to keep putting Boccia UK on the map” as he names eight athletes in the team competing at the Montreal World Cup.

The Great Britain team – fresh from topping the medals table at the Zagreb Challenger and winning three medals at the World Championships – will battle it out from 24-30 April at Arena Maurice-Richard. The tournament is set to welcome more than 100 athletes from 28 nations.

And Baker says the squad is aiming to build on recent winning momentum:

“The World Championships in Rio last December showed how Britain can perform at the highest levels. It was the first time that we had featured in three World Championships finals and athletes were defeating top level opposition. In Zagreb too, we topped the medals table which gives us confidence going into Montreal.

“We’re now in a position where we’re striving to increase our strength in depth and breadth across the World Class Programme. We’re a small but ambitious squad and we plan to keep putting Boccia UK on the map.”

David Smith OBE, Claire Taggart and Will Arnott - who each won gold medals in Zagreb - have made the cut for Canada and will be aiming to earn additional qualification points for the Paralympic Games in Paris next year.

Ayr’s Kayleigh Haggo has also received a call-up and will compete individually in the BC2 category as well as part of the BC1/2 Team with Smith and Taggart. Haggo – who holds six world records as a frame runner – is a relative newcomer to the sport of boccia and has already stepped onto the World Class Programme, which is supported by UK Sport, the National Lottery and DCMS.

Kayleigh haggo to play her first ever world cup

While Haggo has represented Britain at Challenger events, this will be her first experience of a World Cup - the top flight of international boccia competition:

“I’m really excited to be going to my first World Cup. The top 10 female BC2 players in the world will be there and, to be honest, I still can’t believe I’m going to be competing amongst the best in the world after just 14 months in the sport. I also can’t wait to be part of the Team competition alongside Claire Taggart and David Smith.”

Incredibly, the 24-year-old is fresh from achieving a new T72 100m world record last weekend:

“I do juggle both sports pretty well,” says Haggo. “They both complement each other which is good. After breaking a new world record at the weekend, I now need to reset and shift my focus to Montreal.”

Kayleigh Haggo frame-running on a track — kayleigh on her way to a world record in 100m - credit peter milsom

Jamie McCowan also makes it back on court with Mum and ramp assistant, Linda. It will be the first tournament of the season for the BC3 duo from Dundonald:

“It’s great to be going back to Montreal. It’s a venue where I made my international debut back in 2008 when I was just 13. It’s a place with good memories of previous medal success too.”

Robyn McBride from Antrim joins Reading’s Will Arnott in the BC3 category while Stephen McGuire and Fiona Muirhead – both from Lanarkshire – will be aiming for top spots.

McGuire returned home from Zagreb with a bronze medal to add to his collection while Muirhead – another new recruit to the Boccia UK squad – finished just outside the medals in fourth place.

The Boccia UK squad for Montreal is as follows:

BC1 Male David Smith (Sarah Nolan)

BC2 Female Claire Taggart (Stevie Taggart)

BC2 Female Kayleigh Haggo (Kevin Brown)

BC3 Male Jamie McCowan (Linda McCowan)

BC3 Male Will Arnott (Connor Wellfare)

BC3 Female Robyn McBride (Davy McBride)

BC4 Male Stephen McGuire (Michaela Rihackova)

BC4 Female Fiona Muirhead (Nicky McNeil)