Athletes from across Canada competing in Boccia Championships in Quebec City

Montreal -

The country's best Boccia atheletes competed in six categories of the 27th Canadian Boccia Championships which are being held this week in Quebec City.

Boccia is a lot like curling, but without the ice and it involves chess game style strategy.

“Theres a white ball the jack ball, 6 balls on each tam, blue balls and red balls, and the object is to get your balls closer to the white ball than your opponent," said Peter Leyser of Boccia Canada.

Adding to that, Marco Dispaltro said, “Boccia is more of a thinking person's game.”

Playing from a seated position, in a wheelchair, or just seated to free-up hands from crutches, the game allows differently abled participants to compete in six classifications depending on their mobility.

According to a participant’s abilities, there are six different ways to play that include throwing or kicking the ball or using a ramp to propel it.

Leyser said Boccia is made for them.

“The athletes we deal with have neurological difficulties, spinal-cord injury, muscular-distrophy, cerebral-palsy. So, boccia is perfect. It was actually invented for those with cerebral palsy," he said.

"So, we a bit further than Paralympics by offering six different classes."

Until Nov. 21, the Canadian Championships are being held at the Quebec Convention Centre -- its first in-person event since the pandemic began.

Marco Dispaltro earned a bronze medal in the London 2012 Paralympics and has missed competing since the coronavirus put a stop to the games.

“The paralympics were cancelled for a year. Unfortunately, that affected us a lot. I'm not making excuses but it did interfere with our training,” said Dispaltro.

Athletes from across the country are at the event and Quebecers making up a big portion. Olivier Dussault on the Boccia Quebec team has been playing boccia since 2018 and it's taken him around the world.

He’s humble about his expectations with this competition. “I just want some experience, national experience. You know, keep it simple and throw the ball at the right spot," he said with a laugh.

Previously a wheelchair rugby player, Dispaltro knows that although boccia is played low to the ground, the stakes are high.

“We're heading to Brazil in December and that’s a 10-day competition and that's an automatic qualifier for world championships. Basically, if you finish on the podium you're going to world championships in 2022.”

The Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association said physical activity and the pursuit of excellence in sport is rewarding for every body.