By Graham Thomas
The international boccia season begins in Canada on Tuesday, April 28, with two of the host country’s leading Paralympic figures, Lance Cryderman and Marco Dispaltro, spearheading the home charge.
Following the postponement of the Riyadh 2026 World Boccia Challenger earlier this month, the Montreal 2026 World Boccia Cup assumes added significance as Montreal hosts the first World Boccia event of 2026 at the Maurice Richard Arena.
It will provide an early benchmark as the opening global test of the new season, as well as an opportunity for Canada’s seven-strong national squad to measure themselves against elite international opposition.
For Cryderman (pictured above: Pic:Patrick Beauchemin, Défi Sportif AlterGo) and Dispaltro, both hugely experienced and decorated athletes, the tournament represents a chance to underline their status as standard-bearers for Canadian boccia.
Cryderman’s story remains one of the most fascinating in Canadian Paralympic sport.
The BC1 athlete from Val Caron, Ontario first represented Canada at Sydney 2000 before stepping away from high-performance competition for 16 years.
Since returning to the national programme in 2017, he has rebuilt himself into one of the country’s leading performers, culminating in a return to the Paralympic stage at Paris 2024 and a current BC1 world ranking of No.12.
After capturing the national title at the 2025 Défi sportif AlterGo National Open and continuing to produce podium finishes internationally, Cryderman enters Montreal with momentum and is a key leader within the squad.
His silver medal in the BC1 individual event at the 2023 Parapan American Games underlined his ability to remain competitive among the world’s best.
Dispaltro – who competes at BC4 – has also shown even greater sustained excellence in Canadian colours.
A former Canada international in wheelchair rugby, Dispaltro was a BC4 Pairs bronze medallist at the London Paralympics in 2012.
Often compared to Canadian ice hockey legend Gordie Howe, the 58-year-old is still regarded as one of the cornerstones of his country’s national squad and central to Canada’s ambitions.
Canada national head coach César Nicolaï says: “We’re very excited to kick off the competitive season in Montreal; it is always special to have the chance to compete in our own country.
“The Canadian boccia team is ready for this first World Cup, which will help us launch our 2026 season.”
The seven-athlete squad reflects the depth of Canada’s programme across classifications.
Alongside Cryderman in BC1, Danik Allard carries Canada’s hopes in BC2.
The two-time Paralympian from Bois-des-Filion, Quebec has established himself as one of the country’s most tactically mature athletes and is relishing the chance to compete on home territory.
“First, I have to say that I’m thrilled that Boccia is back in Montreal – especially since it’s returning to our country,” said Allard.
“I can’t wait to see our Canadian fans come out to cheer us on again. I think I speak for all my teammates when I say that we’re eager to show off our skills on our home turf.”
In BC3, Montreal’s Fatima Abderrahmane and Kingsey Falls’ Alexandre Lemaire represent Canada’s promising next generation.
Abderrahmane, still building international experience after debuting in 2025, teams with nationally established Lemaire in pairs competition after both impressed on the domestic circuit.
At BC4 pairs, Alison Levine and Iulian Ciobanu bring formidable pedigree, having competed together at Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Their gold-medal success at the 2023 Parapan American Games and recent triumph at the Santiago World Challenger underline Canada’s strength in the classification.
Levine and Ciobanu will contest BC4 pairs, while Dispaltro adds further depth to the individual BC4 field, creating a powerful home contingent.
Event Schedule
April 27 – Opening ceremony, official practices, classification, equipment check
April 28 to May 1 – Individual Competition
May 2 to May 3 – Team/Pairs Competition
