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"Japan Paraboccia Tournament"
The Japan Sports Association for Persons with Disabilities (JPSA) held the "2017 Japan Para Boccia Competition" at Musashino General Gymnasium in Tokyo from November 17th to 19th. Teams from Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Japan participated, engaging in fierce competition in both pairs and team events. This marked the first time boccia was featured at the Japan Para Games, the nation's premier para-sports event.
Boccia was developed in Europe for individuals with severe cerebral palsy or equivalent severe limb impairments. Players compete by throwing or rolling colored balls (red and blue) toward a target ball (jack ball) on the court, aiming to get their balls closest to the jack ball. Athletes unable to throw the ball due to their disability (BC3 class) use a ramp to convey their intent to an assistant, who then rolls the ball. The sport has no gender distinction. Players are classified by the type and severity of their disability (BC1 to BC4) and compete in individual, pairs, and team events.
Interest in the sport has grown domestically since the Japanese team (Fireball JAPAN) won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Thailand and Japan hold the top two spots in the team world rankings, while Great Britain is ranked 9th in the world for BC3 pairs (4th for teams).
The second match between Japan and Thailand in the "Team BC1-2" class on the 19th was a thrilling contest worthy of the tournament's final game. The back-and-forth battle ended in a tie after six games, forcing a tiebreaker (extra innings). Japan's players, including Hidetaka Sugimura and Takayoshi Hirose, delivered superb throws. When Thailand's final throw, aiming for a comeback, missed, both players and spectators erupted in joy.
In his closing remarks, JPSA Executive Director Hidefumi Takahashi stated, "Approximately 1,000 spectators gathered for this tournament. We hope to see boccia grow even more popular in Japan going forward. The next tournament is scheduled for January 2019 in Tokyo. We also hope everyone will strive to participate in and win medals at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, which opens 1,010 days from today."
■ Tournament Results
・BC4 Pairs: 1st Place Thailand, 2nd Place Japan
・BC3 Pairs: 1st place Great Britain, 2nd place Japan
・BC1-2 Team: 1st Place (Tie), 2nd Place Japan
Japan Para Official Website: http://www.jsad.or.jp/japanpara/
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