World’s top Boccia players descend on Largs for International Open

● Scots Mcguire and Mccowan aiming for titles against high-class competition

Many of the world’s best Boccia players have gathered in Ayrshire for the second Scottish International Boccia Open at the National Sports Training Centre in Largs.

The event, run in conjunction with North Ayrshire Council, takes place from today until Sunday. A total of 47 players from nine countries are set to take part in the para-sport championship, which features individual, pairs and team competitions.

Comparable to the French game of Petanque, Boccia is derived from the 16th century Italian game Bocce and was adaptedforathletesinsweden in the 1970s. The sport made its debut at the New York Paralympic Games in 1984.

The calibre of player at this week’s event marks a significant step in the development of the sport in Scotland in attracting such a high level of competition.

Scots Stephen Mcguire (BC4 – severe locomotor dysfunction of all four extremities as well as poor trunk control) and Scott Mccowan (BC3 – very severe locomotor dysfunction in all four extremities) are representing Boccia UK. They are fresh from winning double gold at the Czech International Open in May and will hope to replicate that form this week.

The sport is ideal for all people with a disability and is popular with wheelchair users and those with cerebral palsy, learning disabilities and acquired age related disabilities.

It is technical and tactical in nature and involves players attempting to position one of their balls closer to the target jack ball than their opponent. The sport is played indoors on an area roughly the size of a badminton court.

Mcguire was born with the degenerative condition muscular dystrophy.

A seven-time Scottish champion and nine-time British champion, he is the most successful British BC4 Boccia athlete. Competing with his brother Peter he won the gold medal in the BC4 pairs event at the 2009 European Championships in Porto, Portugal.

In 2010, the brothers won the silver medal at the World Championships in Lisbon, Portugal.

Other major championship medals include European silver from Hamar, Norway, in 2011 as well as retaining European gold in the Pairs event in 2013 and multiple World Open medals in Povoa Portugal and Montreal Canada.

Stephen Mcguire reached the pinnacle of his career by securing the World Championship Individual gold medal in Beijing in 2016.

For Mccowan, born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Boccia is also a family affair and he and his brother Jamie have been playing the sport at national and international level for more than a decade.

Jamie was ranked No 3 in the world in the BC3 classification in early 2018.

The brothers are currently vying for two male places in their category at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

The calibre of player at this week’s event marks a significant step in the development of the sport in Scotland