Special Olympics Rotorua athletes try out their new portable bocce court. Photo / Supplied
Special Olympics Rotorua athletes try out their new portable bocce court. Photo / Supplied
Special Olympics athletes in Rotorua now have more opportunities than ever to play the ancient Italian sport of bocce.
Special Olympics organisations in Rotorua and Southland are expanding their bocce programmes after successfully sourcing portable "Packabocce" courts which will enable them to bring the game to schools and other venues.
Special Olympics Rotorua committee member Christine Brewer said bocce was an internationally sport which was growing in popularity in New Zealand. It is similar to pétanque but is played within a walled court.
"Bocce has a strong international scene so we are really keen to give our athletes the opportunity to give it a go. We were fortunate to get the bulk of the funding for the portable courts from the Sulphur City Lions, so we were very pleased about that," Brewer said.
Rotorua athletes had their first taste of the courts on Wednesday, February 13 at Western Heights High School, where 20 Special Olympics athletes between the ages of 14 and 60 experienced the sport for the first time. Brewer teaches in the school's Te Maru unit, which is for students with special needs, and sees potential for bocce to be used in an educational setting as well.
"It was a fantastic evening and everyone really enjoyed themselves."
Special Olympics New Zealand is placing an increased focus on bocce because of the opportunities it gives for participants to compete internationally, including at the Special Olympics World Summer Games held every four years.
Indoor bowls has historically been popular in New Zealand but is not as popular internationally and is not currently included in the Special Olympics World Summer Games sports programme.
Globally, tens of thousands of Special Olympics athletes compete in bocce. In New Zealand, more than 600 Special Olympics athletes play the sport.
The number of New Zealand athletes playing bocce increased by 43 per cent between 2017 and 2018, and the sport is now offered by 27 Special Olympics clubs.
