The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Players keep rolling at Bocce tournament
The Wickliffe Italian-American Club hosted the 36th annual Cleveland Challenge Cup of Bocce
The Wickliffe Italian-American Club hosted the 36th annual Cleveland Challenge Cup of Bocce.
The 36th annual Cleveland Challenge Cup of Bocce took place at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club this weekend, featuring nearly three days of bocce, entertainment and more.
Tournament play began Friday evening and was scheduled to culminate on Sunday in a women’s championship at 4 p.m. and men’s championship at 6 p.m.
The top prize was listed at $8,000, with a total of over $21,000 in prize money available to top-placing teams.
Larry Koval, media director for the tournament and the Wickliffe Italian-American Club, mentioned that there were just 16 teams when the tournament was first played at the club.
“Then one of our members — Tony Continenza — had the idea to make the event more than just a bocce tournament by adding entertainment and expanding the food options. He also looked for various sponsors to help us ramp up our marketing efforts. We built three more courts, and then covered those.”
“We now cap the number of teams at 100 in the Open Division and have another 15 women’s teams competing in their own division (starting Aug. 24),” Koval added.
He mentioned that the club had started out with three uncovered bocce courts.
Now, the club has nine covered courts that can be played on, whether rain or shine.
During the span of the tournament, spectators and players could also enjoy food, merchandise and music.
Italian cultural activities took place Saturday afternoon, including an appearance by Miss Italia, a cooking demonstration by Chef Dan of the Euclid Culinary School and a historical photo display of Italians in Cleveland.
The bocce competition resumed at 8 a.m. on Sunday.
Dave Gagliano is the captain of a team based out of Lowellville, OH near Youngstown.
On Sunday morning, his team mentioned that they likely placed in the top 16.
“We all play with each other down at Mt. Carmel (Society in Lowellville),” Gagliano said. He added “It’s a great atmosphere up here. It’s the first time we’ve been up here.”
Koval highlighted that bocce is an Italian/ItalianAmerican tradition that spans generations.
“... You can see that tradition represented well in Wickliffe, where our younger members (often with fathers and/or grandfathers in the club) work hand in hand with the older members.”
“Bocce is a game that families play at their functions,” he added, “and when the Italians migrated to the U.S., they brought it with them and would play
The top prize was listed at $8,000, with a total of over $21,000 in prize money available to top-placing teams.
at their social centers — places just like our club — where people, usually from the same village or area of Italy, would get together to socialize.”