A new Bocce World order is coming, as Australian junior and senior bocce teams head to Monaco, France and Turkey to compete in the World Bocce Championships.
The possibility of some Australians reaching the finals at one of the four World Bocce Championships could well come to pass.
The team had a rev-up by the bocce sport ambassador, Robert ‘Dipper’ DiPierdomenico, who will accompany the team to Monaco and the World Championships. Dipper will be there to post updates and promote the team towards success.
The juniors will compete in Monaco at the Denis Ravera International Bocce Challenge from October 21- 23,2022. This event is one of the most prestigious bocce tournaments on the bocce international calendar. It is also a favourite of Prince Albert of Monaco, who is the patron of the sport and who keenly attends.
The team, including Nina Chiandotto, Chiara Tomasi, Michael Pevere, Ava Tomasi, Ayden Respondino and Tommy Campbell, are prepared to do well against some of Europe’s top bocce teams.
This will be followed by the World Junior Bocce Championships in Montbrison, France where the junior U18 and U23 teams will compete against 27 other nations. The team consists of Lara O’Callaghan, Melissa Danelutti, Aaron O’Callaghan, Max Tricarico and Carlo Bunin.
The men’s seniors of Tony Borrelli and Enzo Tomasi will compete at the World Men’s Bocce Championships in Mersin, Turkey. The men’s Bocce World Championships will take place in Turkey in Mersin from November 1 – 5, 2022. This championship will take place simultaneously with the Bocce-RAFFA World Championship at the same location. (Bocce-Raffa is another code of the sport of bocce, with the same principles of the game played with colour bowls and on a smoother surface).
The Australian team competing at the World Raffa is a mixed team of Mary Greco, Diane Penney, Silvio Bruzzese and Rocco Mancini. The coaches supporting the teams are Stefano Chiandotto, Kerrie Reitano and Franco Fava.
“The Bocce-roos are pumped and ready to put on a good show,” said head coach Stefano Chiandotto.
“They have been training and preparing for this moment for some months and they are now ready. Although, for many it will be the first time to wear the green and gold in front of a foreign crowd, I’m confident that they will do Australia proud. They just need to have the self-belief and put all that learning together when on the bocce courts.”
Bocce Australia delegates and chef de mission is Sonia Fava and Anthony (Tony) Biancacci.
Bocce, also known as boules, petanque and bowls, is one of the oldest games in the world yet relatively young in Australia. What you may have seen in the parks and picnic areas, as groups playing the game, is nowhere near what the sport of bocce is today at the elite level.
Bocce sport is played by more than 75 nations and is in all levels of world international competition including the World Games. The sport requires good arm eye co-ordination, fitness, stamina, precision, strategy and a high skill level in both the bowling and throwing aspects of the sport.
A fast new team relay game is played in the World Bocce Championships which requires stamina while running for five minutes throwing at target bowls. This event, as well as the traditional game of singles and doubles, is part of the World Bocce Cup series which is likely to be held in Australia in 2024.
Bocce Australia’s President Frank Funari said: “It is fantastic to see so many young women and men take up the sport, like this group that are heading off to Europe for the World Championships.
“We look forward to more and more juniors taking up the sport and having Robert ‘Dipper’ DiPierdomenico as the bocce sport ambassador, I’m sure this will help to spread the message that bocce sport is a ‘cool’ game that can be played anywhere and if good enough you can see the world.”
