Boccia has been on the European Para Youth Games programme since the first edition in 2011.

The sport has even more ancient roots, with origins in Greece where players threw stones at a target. Similar forms of the game date back to 5200 BC, with objects and murals discovered in Egyptian tombs. During the Middle Ages, boccia was played in markets and streets, and its name comes from the Italian word for “bowl.”

A famous match took place in 1588 between Sir Francis Drake and Lord Howard in Plymouth, England, as they awaited the Spanish Armada. Drake famously insisted on finishing the game before setting sail to battle.

Initially developed for individuals with cerebral palsy, boccia now includes players with neurological impairments affecting motor function. It debuted at the Paralympics in 1984 in New York, featuring 19 athletes from five countries: Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, Portugal, and the USA.

Today, boccia is played in over 50 countries and is governed by World Boccia.

Portugal is the top performing European nation in the sport with 10 Paralympic gold medals. Spain and Great Britain also make the top five with five.