Boccia Canada – (Longueuil, QC) Boccia Canada is pleased to announce the 24 boccia athletes attending the selection camp for the 2017/18 Canadian Boccia Training Squad at Cégep Édouard-Montpetit in Longueuil, QC from March 14-15, 2017.

Athletes will be competing to earn a spot to represent Team Canada on home soil at the Americas Regional Open in Montreal April 27-30^th, 2017 and other international events throughout the year.

“2017-18 is the beginning of a new Paralympic cycle and one of the goals in this first year is to identify athletes that have the capacity to perform at the world level for the next four years.” comments National Head Coach Mario Delisle. “The selection camp and the 2017 Canadian Championship that follow will give national coaches a good indication of athletes able to perform ‘on demand’, one of the many qualities we are looking for. Twenty four athletes come from across Canada from St-John’s, NF to Victoria, BC , including 8 female athletes.”

The selection camp roster includes many experienced international athletes and returning squad members, including 2016 Paralympians Marco Dispaltro (Saint-Jérôme, QC), Alison Levine (Côte Saint-Luc, QC), Iulian Ciobanu (Montreal, QC), Eric Bussiere (Montreal, QC), Bruno Garneau (Montreal, QC) and Marylou Martineau (Quebec, QC).

Following the camp, the athletes will head directly to the 2017 Canadian Boccia Championships, also being held at the Cégep Édouard-Montpetit from March 17-19.

Athletes attending the Selection Camp include: (athletes with Paralympic Games experience denoted with a *)
 

Hanif Mawji (Burnaby, BC)	BC1
Chris Halpen (Victoria, BC)	BC1
Brock Richardson (Brampton, ON)	BC1
Lois Martin (St. John’s, NL)	BC1
Josée Lamothe (Trois- Rivières, QC)	BC1
Eric Lefebvre (Montreal, QC)	BC1
Paul Jalbert (Prince George, BC)	BC2
Mike Mercer (St. John’s, NL)	BC2
Hayley Redmond (St. John’s, NL)	BC2
Kristyn Collins (St. John’s, NL)	BC2
Tammy McLeod (London, ON)	BC2
Adam Dukovich* (London, ON)	BC2
Benoit Ostiguy (Montreal, QC)	BC2
Dave Richer (Montreal, QC)	BC2
Eric Bussière* (Montreal, QC)	BC3
Bruno Garneau* (Montreal, QC)	BC3
Philippe Lord (Montreal, QC)	BC3
Marylou Martineau* (Quebec, QC)	BC3
Giancarlo Bizarro (Laval, QC)	BC3
Marianne Paquet (Quebec, QC)	BC3
Marco Dispaltro* (St. Jérôme, QC)	BC4
Alison Levine* (Côte Saint-Luc, QC)	BC4
Iuilan Ciobanu* (Montreal, QC)	BC4
Alexandre Lemaire (Kingsey Falls, QC)	BC4
Paul Gauthier *(Injury exemption)	BC3

 

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.