Sunday, November 19th, 2023.- This Sunday marked the start of boccia competitions, one of the most anticipated disciplines at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games. In this regard, victories by athletes from Mexico, Canada, Colombia, and Brazil stood out.

The first day of competition yielded significant results, with one of the most notable being Karina Martínez from Mexico defeating Chile's Andrea Guzmán 12-0 in the BC2 category. A solid victory for the North American athlete, currently ranked eighth in the world.

In this category, boccia players often have arm and hand capabilities that allow them to throw the ball over and under their heads using a variety of grips.

Following Martínez's triumph, Colombia also had an easy task. Leidy Chica, the global number one, defeated Panama's representative, Teresa Urriola, 15-0 in the BC4 category, which includes players with non-cerebral impairments that also affect their coordination.

Canada's Alisson Levine, on the other hand, left no chances for Alfonsina Urrutia from Chile, winning 13-0 in the opening match of the BC4 female's category. Lastly, in the male's category, the Brazilian legend Maciel de Souza Santos, Olympic champion at London 2012 and bronze medalist at Tokyo, stood out with a 16-0 victory over Mario Sayes from Guatemala in BC2.

Written by José Tomás Lambert; translated by Rocio Rojas / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
Photo by Javier Valdés Larrondo / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport