Beltran, Cordero, Pena and Dueso Triumph At Boccia Championship in Spain

Paco Beltrán, Pedro Cordero, Sandra Peña and José María Dueso were some of the winners at the Boccia Championships in Spain, which saw 112 athletes taking part in Alicante from 1-3 July.

Four-time Paralympic medallist Francisco Beltran dominated in the BC1 category, where athletes have additional help to throw the ball with their feet or hands.

In the BC2 class, in which athletes throw the ball with their hands without any additional aid, the three members of the Spanish team won all of their matches to face each other in the knock-out phase. Jose Javier Curto, who won gold in Athens, came third, Manuel Angel Martin took silver and the Beijing 2008 bronze medallist Pedro Cordero took gold.

In the BC3 class, where players pitch the ball using a chute, Verónica Pamiés took bronze, José Manuel Rodríguez came second and Sandra Peña took the national title.

In the BC4 class, which includes athletes with severe physical disabilities, José María Dueso sailed to victory in the competition, only coming up against difficulties when he faced Vasile Agache.

In the team competition, which includes athletes from the BC1 and BC2 categories, the club Amics de la Boccia from Valencia, which includes José Vaquerizo and Manuel Ángel Martín, were crowned champions after defeating Aixiña Ourense, which includes José Manuel Prado among its teammates.

The BC3 pairs was won by the Catalan duo Boucherit and Tsouli from Fesport.

The BC4 pairs competition was dominated by Antonio Arranz and José María Dueso, who won the final, beating the other favourites Marcos Marciel and Amparo Baixauli.

Boccia is one of 20 sports that will be competed in at the London 2012 Paralympic Games which get underway on 29 August 2012.