British Embassy supports Honduran athletes with disabilities
The British Embassy has donated 15 Boccia sets to the Honduran Paralympic Committee.
Boccia is a game of strategy and accuracy originally designed to be played by people with cerebral palsy. Now, the sport includes athletes with impairments that affect motor skills.
Thanks to the support of the Great Britain Boccia Federation (GB Boccia), the donation will benefit 40 Honduran athletes that are starting in this sport. The equipment has a value of more than 170,000 lempiras (US$7,500).
The sport is played on a flat, smooth surface, where players must throw or roll coloured balls as close as possible to a white target ball, known as the “jack.” The player, pair or team with the most balls near the jack is the winner.
According to the Honduran Paralympic Committee one of the main obstacles to further developing Boccia in the country has been the difficulty of acquiring the equipment and the high costs associated with it.
As a result of this donation and others Honduras expects to increase to 80 the number of athletes that able to play this sport. National teams are expected to increase their participation in events of the Boccia International Sports Federation (BISFED) and the paralympic movement.
To mark the event, Carolyn Davidson, British Ambassador to Honduras, said:
As part of the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games the UK Government committed to work towards greater equality for those with disabilities by changing attitudes, improving access and opening up new opportunities, at home and abroad. To do that, we are working with federations and paralympic committees of many countries. I’m delighted to see that Honduras is playing its part to enable disabled people to fulfil their potential and play a full role in society. The United Kingdom believes that sport is one of the best ways to achieve that objective and help overcome many challenges.