Fresh boccia start at Poznan Regional

Athletes looking to build off their performances at last month’s World Championships are back in action at the 2018 Poznan Boccia Regional Open, which begin Friday (7 September) in Poland.

The competition welcomes 73 athletes from 11 countries, with several top 10-ranked players starring on the courts.

Slovakia’s Samuel Andrejcik will try to bounce back from his disappointment in the individual BC4 event at the Worlds in Liverpool, Great Britain. The Rio 2016 Paralympic silver medallist was knocked out early in the pool stage, missing an opportunity to play for his first major individual title. However he did help Slovakia capture gold in the BC4 pairs.

Croatia’s world No. 7 Davor Komar won the individual gold in last year’s Poznan Regional Open. Like Andrejcik, the Croatian did not make it to the fight for a BC4 medal in Liverpool but would hope his luck is better here.

Andrejcik’s compatriot Robert Mezik just missed out on a podium at Liverpool 2018, but the world No. 5 can shake that off in the BC2 category in Poznan.

The home crowd can look to Damian Iskrzycki for a potential medal in the individual BC3. Ranked No. 9 in the world, Iskrzycki will try to show he is better than his 23rd place from Liverpool.

Another Slovakian will headline the competition, as Tomas Kral comes off a sixth-place finish from August’s Worlds in the BC1.

The Poznan Regional Open runs until 11 September.