Boccia Canada – (Ottawa, ON) Boccia Canada is pleased to announce the eleven athletes who will represent Team Canada at the Montreal Regional Open from April 27-30 in Montreal, QC. This tournament will see four countries and thirty athletes competing in the first international event of the quadrennial.

The team includes a mix of veterans and rookies, all looking for solid performances as they aim towards qualification for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Athletes to watch include hometown favourites Alison Levine, Marco Dispaltro and Iulian Ciobanu , strong individual players who are currently ranked sixth in the world in the BC4 Pair division. Lois Martin (St. John’s, NF) will be making her international debut in the BC1 division, while Eric Lefebvre will be returning to international competition after winning his first national championships in twenty years at the Canadian Championships in Longueuil. Competing in his hometown after nearly 15 years since his last international competition, Lefebvre seeks to carry over his momentum from National Championships to land a spot on the podium.

Looking over to BC3 Pair, 2016 Paralympic duo Eric Bussiére and Marylou Martineau along with teammate Philippe Lord, seek to stand their ground on home turf to take home a medal at the Regional Open. The up-and-coming BC2 athletes will be the ones to watch as they seek to build momentum as the next generation of Paralympian’s.

“The Montreal Regional Open is a good occasion to build confidence and take the lead in the America zone.” Comments Head Coach Mario Delisle, “We are working on building more depth in the program this year, those who play to their fullest potential in Montreal will certainly have a chance to go far at this event and will probably have other chances to compete later this summer.”

The competition will be held in Montreal, Quebec at the Centre Pierre-Charbonneau. Pair competition will commence Friday, April 28 with individual competition following on Saturday and Sunday. This first tournament is a test for the athletes as they feel out the playing field in the beginning of the quadrennial.  

List of Athletes Competing:

BC1
Éric Lefebvre (Montreal, QC)
Lois Martin (Rising star) (St. John’s, NL)
 
BC2
Benoit Ostiguy (Montreal, QC)
Tammy McLeod (London, ON)
Mike Mercer (St. John’s, NL)
 
BC3
Eric Bussiére (Montreal, QC)
Philippe Lord (Montreal, QC)
Marylou Martineau (Quebec, QC)
 
BC4
Marco Dispaltro (Montreal, QC)
Alison Levine (Montreal, QC)
Iulian Ciobanu (Montreal, QC)

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. CCPSA and its provincial partners cooperate as a proactive force to facilitate the development of equitable and fair sporting opportunities for athletes with cerebral palsy and related disabilities.

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 four sport classes based on their level and type of disability: BC1, BC2, BC3 and BC4. For more information on boccia, visit www.bocciacanada.ca.