BUDDING Paralympians are being invited to join Jorvik Boccia.

The club, which was only set up two years ago, won the Boccia England National Community League last season and has now been promoted to the Boccia England Super League – a competition for the top six clubs in the country.

Boccia has been a Paralympic sport since 1984 and is an indoor game of strategy and skill, similar to boules or bowls, which is played by seated disabled athletes who throw, kick or roll the balls onto the court.

York University student Beth Moulam suffers from cerebral palsy but has been playing boccia for 13 years and has represented England as a BC1 thrower.

Due to a change in her circumstances, she is now competing using a ramp as a BC3 player.

“I didn’t realise I was competitive until I played boccia when I was 10,” she recalled. “Until then, I had never been able to join in any sport at my primary school.

“I have been privileged to represent my country and my aim is to do so again in my new classification,” she added.

“My cerebral palsy is no longer an obstacle to playing competitively, both individually and in the team.”

Alfie Yates, aged 11 from Leeds, has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy but has been playing boccia for three years and is a BC4 thrower.

“Boccia reminds me that I’m as good as sport as my friends, it’s just that I play a very different sport,” he said.

“I could actually be in the Paralympics and - even though I sometimes wish I could play sports like football or rugby - I wouldn’t go to such a high level with them.”

The Jorvik Boccia club is open to any player with a physical disability. The club meets regularly at Burnholme Sports Hub in York and all sessions are led by qualified coaches with training and equipment provided.

New players, aged 8 and over, are welcome to attend. The next club day is Sunday May 14.

For more information contact Liz Moulam on jorvikboccia@aol.com or phone 07742 886883.