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University of Portsmouth student Cecilia Turk has returned from the Boccia World Cup in Vancouver, Canada with a Silver medal, having beaten the existing World Champion. The sport Boccia (pronounced ‘Botcha') derives from an ancient Greek game which is primarily played by athletes with Cerebral Palsy. The game can be likened to the French sport of Boules, as athletes have to propel red or blue balls and get them as close as possible to the jack, a small white ball. Cecilia competed at the World Cup earlier this week in a team with fellow athletes, Liam Beresford and Lee Hamlyn. She said: ‘It's fantastic. We were up against teams going to the Beijing Olympics and when we beat the World Champions I was absolutely ecstatic'. Cecilia is in her second year at the University of Portsmouth studying Leisure Management with Marketing. Andrew Packer, Head of the School of Environmental Design and Management said: ‘I am delighted that Cecilia has been able to balance her international Olympic commitments and her studies and come home with her first international medal'. Cecilia's next big event is the Cheshire International Boccia Competition. She said: ‘The British competition is the one I'm really looking to win'. News Source: www.port.ac.uk |
