ARMIDALE High School has come fourth in the NSW schools boccia competition after three months of knockout rounds involving more than 90 schools.
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Boccia is a Paralympic sport that crosses lawn bowls with the Italian game of bocce, and is played by people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities.
It is pronounced like “gotcha”, but with a B.
The competition started on the back of the Paralympics in London, and was promoted as a viable school activity for students with a disability that encouraged their participation in competitive and recreational sport.
The final, contested by 16 teams at Sydney’s Olympic Park, was won by Cranebrook High School, whose captain, Connor Hamlin, is state junior and open champion.
Cerebral Palsy Alliance boccia program head Peter King said the competition was a great success.
“It has shown us how a Paralympic sport can deliver valuable social benefits to young athletes with disabilities,” Mr King said.
“We have also identified some strong, up-and-coming, new talent, which bodes well as we look towards the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.”