Dubai: UAE won gold at the First Fazza International Boccia competition in the doubles event of the BC4 category held on Wednesday.
The UAE got the better of Kuwait and Iraq to claim gold.
An ecstatic Raissa Falasi, who competed in the doubles event along with Ahmad Al Jezairi, said: “I am proud to represent my country at an international competition. Boccia truly is a unique sport for people with disabilities and I would encourage more people to try their hand at it. This championship has been a great opportunity to compete alongside professional athletes from around the world and I look forward to participating in more tournaments in the future.”
The First Fazza International Boccia competition hosted 41 players from across eight countries — Iraq, Thailand, Malaysia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Tunisia and Portugal besides hosts UAE.
Iraq won silver in the BC4 category in the doubles event, while Kuwait took the bronze.
Thani Juma Berregad, chairman of the Dubai Club for the Disabled and head of the organising committee for the Fazza Championships for the Disabled added: “We would like to congratulate our Boccia national team and all other participating teams for their commitment to the sport. The objective of this competition was to reach out to the most vulnerable category of people with disabilities and we have managed to achieve this successfully.
“We have seen some very competent players from the Arab world participate in this tournament and they have a very real chance to compete more aggressively at a regional and international platform.”
