Canada’s National Boccia Team head to South America for Santiago 2023 World Boccia Challenger
Iulian Ciobanu just went undefeated at the 2023 Montréal World Cup in April, earning a gold in BC4 individuals and a gold in pairs play (photo credit: Pierre Paradis)
Ottawa, ON (June 26, 2023) – Nine Canadians will take to the courts at the Santiago 2023 World Boccia Challenger starting tomorrow with Individual play, followed by Team/Pairs on July 1 & 2nd. The event is part of the pathway to qualifying for the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Fresh off his gold medal at the Montréal World Cup in April, BC4 athlete Iulian Ciobanu (Montréal, QC) will be looking to keep the momentum in Santiago, with the event a prelude to the Parapan American Games also in Chile this November. Ciobanu will be joined in male individual play by Marco Dispaltro (St.-Jérôme, QC), the 2019 Parapan Am gold medalist. Alison Levine (Montréal, QC) will be joining Ciobanu in BC4 Pairs play, as the world number two rank duo will attempt to build upon their gold medal in Montréal earlier this year.Ciobanu remarked “In my experience, you can’t reproduce a performance because it’s influenced by many factors, some of which are beyond my control. Each competition is unique for me, so I live the next competition as a new one according to the “here and now”. It’s a good opportunity to know what surface we’ll be playing on in November 2023 at the Parapan American Games. As far as adversity is concerned, I don’t take my opponents for granted, and regardless of who I’m playing, it’s a new game.” The BC1/2 Team of Lance Cryderman (Val Caron, ON), Kristyn Collins (St. John’s, NL), and Danik Allard (Bois-des-Filion, QC) will be trying to secure wins and all-important ranking points as they attempt to qualify for the Paris games. They currently sit in twelfth in the world rankings, just outside of qualification. The trio have had success in South America in the past, having claimed bronze at the Americas Regional Championships held in Sao Paulo, Brazil in December 2021. Ryan Rondeau (Edmonton, AB) will be making his second World Boccia start in BC3 male individual, having won silver in his debut last September in Cali, Colombia. Marylou Martineau (Québec City, QC) joins Rondeau in BC3 Pairs play. Lois Martin of St. John’s, Newfoundland rounds out the Canadian contingent and will compete in BC1 female individual. Head Coach, César Nicolai will be leading the group in Santiago: “This competition will enable us to be better prepared for the Parapan American Games, which is our main target in 2023. Several of our athletes are in the running to qualify for the Paralympic Games. Each competition this year is a new opportunity to pick up points to improve their world ranking with the vision to earn a place by the end of 2023 in the qualifying spots for Paris 2024. We’ll be able to familiarize ourselves with the competition site of the 2023 Parapan American Games when we compete at the Santiago World Boccia Challenger.” The link for the results, schedule, and webcast will be updated once classification is finished via Boccia Canada’s Facebook page here.
About Boccia Canada
Boccia Canada is the boccia delivery arm of the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association (CCPSA), the National Sport Organization for the Paralympic sport of boccia. Boccia Canada is focused on providing athletes and individuals of all ages and skill with the chance to play a unique Paralympic sport. We lead, develop and grow boccia from grassroots to producing World Champions, and we collaborate with partners to increase participation of Canadians with physical disabilities in sport.
About boccia
Boccia is a Paralympic sport of precision and strategy similar to lawn bowling or curling, played by athletes with Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy and related disabilities. It is one of only two Paralympic sports that do not have an Olympic counterpart. Athletes compete in one of six sport classes based on their level and type of disability: BC1, BC2, BC3 BC4, BC5, and Open.
Media Contact
Holly Janna
Communications Lead and National Team Coordinator, Boccia Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone Number: 613-748-1430 x3 | Cell: 514-944-5193