Boccia at the Summer Paralympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boccia at the Summer Paralympics |
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| Governing body | CP-ISRA |
| Events | 3 (mixed) |
| Games | |
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Boccia is a cool sport that has been part of the Summer Paralympics since the 1984 Games. These games happened in New York City and Stoke Mandeville.
Boccia is a game that needs lots of smart thinking and careful aim. It's a bit like curling or the French game pétanque. Players roll or throw leather balls on a court that is 12.5 meters long and 6 meters wide. Each team gets six colored balls. The goal is to get your balls as close as possible to a special white ball called a "jack."
At the first Paralympic Games where Boccia was played, there were five different events. Two events were for men, two for women, and one was a mixed event where men and women played together. From 1988 all the way until 2020, all Boccia events at the Paralympics were mixed. However, for the 2024 Games, they brought back separate events for men and women in individual play. The pairs and team competitions are still mixed.
Athletes who play Boccia often have cerebral palsy, which is a condition that affects movement. To make sure the competition is fair, athletes are put into different groups based on how much their disability affects them. At first, there were two main groups, C1 and C2. C1 was for athletes with more severe challenges. In 1996, a new group was added for C1 athletes who used special tools to help them. Then, in 2000, the system changed to four groups: BC1, BC2, BC3, and BC4.
Because individual events for men and women were brought back, the 2024 Paralympic Games had the most Boccia events ever, with a total of eleven!
Contents
Boccia at the Paralympics: A Quick Look
This table shows when Boccia was played at the Paralympics, how many events there were, and which country performed the best each year.
| Games | Year | Events | Best Nation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1960 | not held | |
| 2 | 1964 | ||
| 3 | 1968 | ||
| 4 | 1972 | ||
| 5 | 1976 | ||
| 6 | 1978 | ||
| 7 | 1984 | 5 |  United States |
| 8 | 1988 | 3 |  South Korea |
| 9 | 1992 | 3 |  Spain |
| 10 | 1996 | 5 | Spain |
| 11 | 2000 | 5 |  Ireland |
| 12 | 2004 | 7 |  Portugal |
| 13 | 2008 | 7 |  Brazil /  South Korea |
| 14 | 2012 | 7 | Brazil |
| 15 | 2016 | 7 |  Thailand |
| 16 | 2020 | 7 |  Slovakia |
| 17 | 2024 | 11 |  Hong Kong |
Boccia Events Over the Years
This table shows all the different Boccia events that have been held at the Summer Paralympics. It lists the number of events and the disability groups that competed in individual, pairs, and team games. Unless it says otherwise, all events were mixed, meaning both men and women played together.
| Year | Number of events |
Individual events | Pairs events | Team events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 5 | Men's C1 Men's C2 Women's C1 Women's C2 |
Open | |
| 1988 | 3 | C1 C2 |
C1–C2 | |
| 1992 | 3 | C1 C2 |
C1–C2 | |
| 1996 | 5 | C1 C1 with aid device C2 |
C1 with aid device | C1–C2 |
| 2000 | 5 | BC1 BC2 BC3 |
BC3 | BC1–BC2 |
| 2004 | 7 | BC1 BC2 BC3 BC4 |
BC3 BC4 |
BC1–BC2 |
| 2008 | 7 | BC1 BC2 BC3 BC4 |
BC3 BC4 |
BC1–BC2 |
| 2012 | 7 | BC1
BC2 BC3 BC4 |
BC3
BC4 |
BC1-BC2 |
| 2016 | 7 | BC1
BC2 BC3 BC4 |
BC3
BC4 |
BC1-BC2 |
| 2020 | 7 | BC1
BC2 BC3 BC4 |
BC3
BC4 |
BC1-BC2 |
| 2024 | 11 | Men's BC1 Men's BC2 Men's BC3 Men's BC4 Women's BC1 Women's BC2 Women's BC3 Women's BC4 |
BC3 BC4 |
BC1-BC2 |
Boccia Medal Winners: Top Countries
This table shows which countries have won the most medals in Boccia at the Paralympics, up to the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  South Korea (KOR) |
11 | 9 | 8 | 28 |
| 2 | Portugal (POR) |
9 | 10 | 9 | 28 |
| 3 | Hong Kong (HKG) |
7 | 4 | 1 | 12 |
| 4 | Thailand (THA) |
7 | 2 | 6 | 15 |
| 5 |  Great Britain (GBR) |
6 | 5 | 3 | 14 |
| 6 | Brazil (BRA) |
6 | 1 | 4 | 11 |
| 7 | Spain (ESP) |
5 | 7 | 7 | 19 |
| 8 | Ireland (IRL) |
3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 9 | Slovakia (SVK) |
3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 10 |  China (CHN) |
2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 11 | United States (USA) |
2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 12 |  Greece (GRE) |
1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
 Japan (JPN) |
1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | |
| 14 |  Denmark (DEN) |
1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 15 |  Canada (CAN) |
1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 16 |  Colombia (COL) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
 Czech Republic (CZE) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 18 |  France (FRA) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 |  Australia (AUS) |
0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
 Indonesia (INA) |
0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 21 |  Norway (NOR) |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 22 |  Malaysia (MAS) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Netherlands (NED) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 New Zealand (NZL) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Singapore (SGP) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 26 |  Belgium (BEL) |
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 27 |  Argentina (ARG) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Hungary (HUN) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 RPC (RPC) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Ukraine (UKR) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (30 entries) | 68 | 68 | 70 | 206 | |
Boccia Stars: Athletes with Many Medals
This table highlights Boccia players who have won at least two gold medals or five total medals at the Paralympics. Players who are still competing are shown in bold.
| No. | Athlete | Country | Years | Games | Gender | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dirceu Pinto | Brazil (BRA) |
2008-2016 | 3 | M | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 2 | Antonio Cid | Spain (ESP) |
1992-2004 | 4 | M | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 2 | Jeong Ho-won | South Korea (KOR) |
2008-2020 | 4 | M | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | David Smith | Great Britain (GBR) |
2008-2020 | 4 | M | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | João Paulo Fernandes | Portugal (POR) |
2004-2008 | 2 | M | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 6 | Pattaya Tadtong | Thailand (THA) |
2004-2016 | 3 | M | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 7 | Antonio Marques | Portugal (POR) |
1988, 1996-2008, 2016 | 6 | M | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 8 | Eliseu dos Santos | Brazil (BRA) |
2008-2016 | 3 | M | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 9 | Grigorios Polychronidis | Greece (GRE) |
2012-2024 | 4 | M | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 10 | Nigel Murray | Great Britain (GBR) |
2000-2012 | 4 | M | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 11 | Henrik Jorgensen | Denmark (DEN) |
1984-1996, 2004 | 5 | M | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
Countries Competing in Boccia
This table shows which countries have sent athletes to compete in Boccia at the Summer Paralympics and how many athletes they sent each year.
| Nation | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina (ARG) |
6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australia (AUS) |
4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 Austria (AUT) |
4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgium (BEL) |
4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 Bermuda (BER) |
1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brazil (BRA) |
2 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canada (CAN) |
4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||
| China (CHN) |
9 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colombia (COL) |
3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Croatia (CRO) |
1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Czech Republic (CZE) |
2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Denmark (DEN) |
1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 Finland (FIN) |
3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| France (FRA) |
3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Great Britain (GBR) |
7 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Germany (GER) |
1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Greece (GRE) |
4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hong Kong (HKG) |
6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hungary (HUN) |
2 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ireland (IRL) |
3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
 Israel (ISR) |
1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Japan (JPN) |
4 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Kuwait (KUW) |
3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malaysia (MAS) |
1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Mexico (MEX) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands (NED) |
3 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Zealand (NZL) |
2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norway (NOR) |
4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portugal (POR) |
3 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Singapore (SGP) |
1 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slovakia (SVK) |
2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Korea (KOR) |
6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Spain (ESP) |
4 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
 Sweden (SWE) |
4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thailand (THA) |
4 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States (USA) |
4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nations | 5 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Competitors | 19 | 34 | 42 | 64 | 64 | 84 | 88 | 103 | 106 | 106 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Year | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | |||||||||||||
See also
In Spanish: Bochas en los Juegos Paralímpicos para niños
