Boccia championship coming to Fort Wayne
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Fort Wayne will play host to the USA Boccia 2023 National Championships this week. It will be the first time the event for what is billed as the world’s most inclusive sport will be held in Indiana.
Boccia is a seated sport for athletes both with and without disabilities and is played individually, in pairs and in teams. It became a Paralympic Game in 1984 and is played in 50 countries.
This year’s National Championships will take place Wednesday through Sunday at the Plassman Athletic Center at Turnstone.
Jazmin Zavala, sports sales manager for Visit Fort Wayne, told Inside INdiana Business about 250 people are coming to Fort Wayne, including 100 athletes, as well as staff, officials and spectators. The event is expected to generate about $230,000 in direct economic impact.
“Opportunities like this introduce Fort Wayne as a possible host destination for future, national opportunities of this caliber,” Zavala said in written remarks. “We look forward to welcoming adapted athletes comprised of veterans, Paralympians, and amateurs from around the country to Fort Wayne.”
As part of the festivities, USA Boccia will host a skills clinic on Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. It will be open to anyone who wants to learn more about the sport, and equipment will be provided.
Visit Fort Wayne said the organization, along with the Turnstone Center for Children & Adults with Disabilities hosted USA Boccia officials on a site visit, which led to the decision to host the event in Fort Wayne.
Turnstone is one of nine U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Sites in the country, earning the designation in 2018. The Plassman Center underwent a $14.5 million renovation in 2015.
Turnstone is seeking volunteers for the event. Anyone interested can find more information by clicking here.