How I got introduced to Boccia by Sathish Kumar R

I am a person with Cerebral Palsy using a Automated Wheelchair. On one working day in early 2016 received a call from Mr. Rajiv Rajan and Mr. Harikrishnan from Ektha they were planning to start to develop a game called Boccia. They said “ we are going to conduct a sports camp & you also come on Sunday”. The first question I asked was " will I be able to play? Do I need to come surely?" The reason I asked this was my hand power was not very good. After much hesitation I went on that Sunday to just see what it was all about. Once I went in person and saw how the game works and its design, I started getting interest in it.

I used to try to throw the balls with both my hands but with much efforts I was not able to throw far, then I started using assistive device (ramp) to throw balls. This is where I got confidence and full interest on the game. I felt that I will be able to reach the target. Thereafter in few days, I was able to grab all informations about Boccia. In a few months, myself and another trainer Mr. Sundar used to manage the weekends training camps, I also used to play in it.
As I got more interested in game, I too joined the organizing team of Ektha.  We Ektha the team ourselves had to get proper informations about the game to train others officially.

I along with Mr. Rajiv Rajan and Mr. Dheepakh went to RDT, in Andhra Pradesh to get trained ourself. We got to know many aspects of boccia, playing methods, rules, categorisation, etc.

After we got trained, we started to conduct regular boccia practice camps on Saturday evening at Vidya Sagar. From then on we slowly started to spread the game in and around Chennai.

We conducted camps in other nearby districts. Though I used to play in weekends, I also used to co-ordinate with others to spread & get support from others.

This continued for a while and after few months, in early 2017 we conducted our first boccia tournament. The response from the teams was very good. Then on we started to expand our wings, by giving many trainings at different districts of Tamil Nadu with the support from Beroe Inc.

We were able to get many interested and talented players through this. We have conducted more than 70 camps, few district level tournaments and 2 state level tournaments so far.

I am a part of coordinating team and we are working with players, teams, volunteers and corporate for the development of Boccia in India.

Our altimate goal is to bring more numbers players to this game and build an Indian team for the 2024 Paralympics.

Where it all started

It was one pleasant afternoon of December 2015 when Mr Harikrishnan or Hari anna as he is known came for his casual visits to my office in Vidya Sagar at that time I was the head of the department of disability legislation unit and hey "let us start Boccia through Ektha" I had heard about the sport a couple of years from Mr Manoj Soma and Mr Jaspal Shani of Choice International from The UK. They were insisting that we do something to develop the game in India at that time (middle of 2013) itself. But I couldn't focus on the game then as a lot of other things were going on including the drafting of the "New Law" for persons with disabilities.

When we at Ektha actually started Boccia?

We started with introductory camp some time in the later half of January 2016 for the aluminai of Vidya Sagar. As usual for persons with disabilities everything is delayed. We wasted almost 3 years after coming to know about the game.

What is Boccia?

Boccia is a Paralympic sport that can be played by anyone, with or without a disability. Originally designed for people with severe cerebral palsy, it is now enjoyed by players with a wide variety of disabilities. It’s easy for a beginner to pick up quickly, but builds in intensity and complexity as players hone their skills.

Boccia is a co-ed sport of control and accuracy, similar to curling or lawn bowling. Games last four or six ends. Players propel balls towards the target or “jack” ball. Each side has six balls (red or blue) per end to try and score points. The closest side to the target ball when all the balls have been played, scores. If the game is tied after all ends have been played, a tie-break end is played. Boccia can be played head to head, in teams of three, or in pairs.

Boccia has roots in Greece, where players threw large stones at a stone target. There were also objects and mural engravings relating to a similar form of the sport that were found as early as 5200 BC during the excavation of the tombs in Egypt. The sport was also played in market places and in the streets during the Middle Ages, and the word ‘boccia’ is derived from the Italian meaning to bowl.