Dear Friends,
As 2025 draws to a close, we would like, on behalf of World Boccia, to extend our warmest thanks to everyone who has contributed to what has been a truly remarkable year for our sport.
Across every continent, boccia has continued to grow in reach, quality and ambition, and that progress has only been possible because of the passion, professionalism and dedication of our global community.
This year will be remembered as a landmark one in the history of World Boccia.
In 2025, we proudly oversaw a record 19 international tournaments around the world – the most ever delivered in a single year. From established hosts to nations welcoming our sport for the first time, the scale and diversity of this competition programme was a powerful statement of boccia’s growing strength and appeal.
Among the many highlights was an outstanding World Boccia Youth Championships in Brazil. The event showcased not only superb organisation and hospitality, but also the extraordinary talent and spirit of the next generation of players.
It was deeply encouraging to see young athletes competing with such skill, confidence and sportsmanship, and to witness nations investing so strongly in their future stars.
We were also delighted to see top-level World Boccia tournaments hosted for the first time in Kazakhstan (home winner Itiana Shingiskhanova is pictured above) and Turkiye. These events represented important milestones for our sport in both countries and regions, opening new doors and inspiring new communities.
Equally significant was our return to Australia, where World Boccia competition was held again after an absence of 15 years. The enthusiasm and commitment shown there underlined the enduring passion for boccia and the opportunities that still exist to reconnect and grow in long-established boccia nations.
One of the most powerful indicators of boccia’s global development in 2025 was the emergence of new medal-winning nations. At World Cup and Challenger Series events this year, Mongolia and Namibia both celebrated their first-ever medals at this level.
These achievements matter far beyond the podium. They reflect years of grassroots work, coaching development and athlete dedication, and they demonstrate that boccia is truly becoming a sport where excellence can emerge from any part of the world.
This growing diversity was mirrored in our youth competitions throughout the year. Alongside the World Boccia Youth Championships in Brazil, we saw inspiring performances at the European Youth Championships in Turkiye, the Asia Youth Championships in Dubai, and the Americas Youth Championships in Chile.
Across these events, a new generation of talented young players announced themselves on the international stage. Their performances give us great confidence that the future of boccia is bright, competitive and globally representative.
Development off the court has been just as important. In 2025, we saw a welcome increase in the number of new players entering the sport, alongside a growing programme of education and training.
World Boccia has continued to organise and support courses for new referees, classifiers and officials, strengthening the foundations of our sport and ensuring that our competitions are delivered to the highest standards.
In this context, we are particularly proud of the training initiatives underway in the United States, where new technical officials are being prepared as part of our long-term vision towards the LA 2028 Paralympic Games.
These efforts reflect our commitment to sustainability and excellence, not just at major events, but across the entire boccia pathway.
Looking ahead to this current Paralympic cycle, we are excited to confirm that a World Boccia Challenger event will be held in Birmingham, Alabama in June 2026. This will mark the first time since 2017 that the United States has hosted a World Boccia event, and it represents an important step in strengthening competition opportunities and expertise in the build-up to LA 2028.
Our horizon continues to expand. In 2026, World Boccia tournaments will be held in new countries for the first time, including Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Each new host nation brings fresh energy, new partnerships and new opportunities to share the unique values of our sport with wider audiences.
While celebrating progress and success, we also pause to remember members of our boccia family who sadly passed away in 2025. We pay tribute to Croatian athlete Davor Komar and to Thailand’s Akkadej Choochuenklin. Both were valued members of our community, and they will be remembered with respect and affection. Our thoughts remain with their families, friends and teammates.
None of what we achieved in 2025 would have been possible without the tireless efforts of so many people. We extend our sincere thanks to all athletes, coaches, officials, classifiers, volunteers and medical staff who give so generously of their time and expertise.
Your commitment is the backbone of our sport. We also wish to thank our commercial partners and hosts, whose belief in boccia and whose support help us deliver events of increasing quality and reach.
We are equally grateful to the World Boccia Board, our committees, Athletes Committee, sponsors, partners and our dedicated staff, whose leadership, professionalism and vision continue to guide the sport forward with integrity and care.
As we look to 2026, there is much to be excited about. The clear highlight will be the World Boccia Championships in Seoul, South Korea next August. We are confident this will be a brilliant celebration of elite sport, cultural exchange and the very best of boccia on the world stage.
Thank you all for making 2025 such a special year. We look forward to continuing this journey together and to building an even stronger future for our sport.
We wish you, your families and your teams a happy, healthy and peaceful 2026.
With warm regards,
Jon Morgan OBE, President, World Boccia
Paul Trayner, CEO, World Boccia
