By Graham Thomas
World Boccia’s journey into Central Asia reached an important milestone at the Astana 2026 World Boccia Cup, which concluded with a variety of success stories.
It was a tournament that reflected both the sport’s growing global reach and Kazakhstan’s rapidly developing place within the international boccia community.
World Boccia president Jon Morgan praised the progress made by the host nation, highlighting how far the sport has come in a short period of time.
“The Kazakhstan Boccia Federation has made tremendous progress since becoming a member of World Boccia in 2023, and the growth of our boccia in this country is a testament to strong leadership and vision,” said Morgan.
“Under the guidance of their President Maulen Ashimbayev, the nation has rapidly become a hub for international boccia competitions.
“Bringing the world of boccia together in this wonderful city was a remarkable achievement, and it reflects a deep commitment to our sport, inclusion, and international friendship.”
The competition itself provided a vivid demonstration of boccia’s expanding strength around the world.
Indonesia and Hong Kong emerged as the leading nations in the individual events, each securing three gold medals.
Indonesia celebrated victories for Handayani Handayani in BC1 Female, Muhamad Syafa in BC1 Male and Felix Ardi Yudha in BC2 Male, while Hong Kong, matched that tally through Hiu Lam Yeung in BC2 Female, Yuen Cheung in BC4 Female, and Yuk Wing Leung in BC4 Male.
Elsewhere, South Korea claimed the BC3 Female title through Yejin Choi and assistant W. Moon, while Singapore’s Aloysius Kai Hong Gan and assistant S.H. Cher triumphed in BC3 Male.
Athletes from Brazil, China, France, Germany, Slovakia and South Korea also earned podium finishes, illustrating the increasingly competitive nature of the international circuit.
The team and pairs events added further evidence of the sport’s global depth.
France captured gold in the BC3 Pairs competition ahead of Italy and Singapore, while Great Britain topped the BC4 Pairs standings, finishing ahead of China and Hong Kong.
Indonesia completed a highly successful week by securing the BC1/2 Team title, with Portugal taking silver and South Korea bronze.
Across every classification, Astana delivered memorable performances, tactical know-how and dramatic contests.
More importantly, it showcased how boccia continues to grow beyond its traditional strongholds, bringing together athletes, coaches, officials and supporters from around the world in a celebration of elite competition, inclusion and international friendship.
The success of the event reinforced Kazakhstan’s emergence as an important destination on the World Boccia calendar and highlighted the sport’s continuing development on a truly global scale.
Next stop for the World Cup circuit in World Championship year is the Povoa 2026 World Boccia Cup tournament in Portugal.
That takes place between July 4 and July 12, with two World Boccia Challenger series tournaments before then – Birmingham, Alabama on June 16-23 and the South American Para Games in Valledupar, Colombia (July 4-15).
BC1 Female
: Handayani Handayani (Indonesia)
: Andreza Oliveira (Brazil)
: Qi Zhang (China)
BC2 Female
: Hiu Lam Yeung (Hong Kong, China)
: Gischa Zayana (Indonesia)
: Ahyoung Choi (South Korea)
BC3 Female
: Yejin Choi / W. Moon (South Korea)
: Sonia Heckel / F. Brachet (France)
: Sunhee Kang / S. Park (South Korea)
BC4 Female
: Yuen Cheung (Hong Kong, China)
: Laissa Guerreira (Brazil)
: Ximei Lin (China)
BC1 Male
: Muhamad Syafa (Indonesia)
: Jovin Tan (Singapore)
: John Loung (Hong Kong, China)
BC2 Male
: Felix Ardi Yudha (Indonesia)
: Minkyu Seo (South Korea)
: Robert Mezik (Slovakia)
BC3 Male
: Aloysius Kai Hong Gan / S.H. Cher (Singapore)
: Jules Menard / C. Menard (France)
: Tak Wah Tse / W. K. Lau (Hong Kong, China)
BC4 Male
: Yuk Wing Leung (Hong Kong, China)
: Boris Nicolai (Germany)
: Yuansen Zheng (China)
BC3 Pairs
: France
: Italy
: Singapore
BC4 Pairs
: Great Britain
: China
: Hong Kong, China
BC1/2 Team
: Indonesia
: Portugal
: South Korea
