Portable courts could unlock bocce growth in Hong Kong

The courts were pumped, and so were the athletes. It was go-time at Yuen Chau Kok Sports Centre.

An inflatable bocce court that is making the sport more accessible around the world was introduced to Special Olympics athletes and coaches from Hong Kong during a special training day on Saturday.

Bocce is one of the fastest growing sports for Special Olympics athletes internationally, but its accessibility to people in many parts of Hong Kong is hampered by a lack of community sports facilities and competitions.

​The high-quality inflatable Packabocce courts produced by Packaworld International are highly portable, making them simple to transport to tournaments, schools and communities that wouldn’t otherwise be able to play bocce.

Special Olympics Hong Kong Senior Sports Executive Sang Lee said the Hong Kong bocce training event was a potential game changer.

“We were most impressed with the courts and it’s opened our eyes to new opportunities for all levels of our bocce programme across Hong Kong. In the past we’ve used PVC pipe but it takes a long time to set up and is difficult to transport and store. The Packabocce courts look great and can be used to take bocce anywhere.”

Packaworld Chief Executive Peter Roberts said he was thrilled to be able to personally introduce Hong Kong athletes and coaches to the new courts. He was confident they would help to create more opportunities for sports participation for Hong Kong-based athletes with intellectual disabilities. 

“We’ve seen big increases in bocce participation everywhere these courts are used. Whether it’s in the United States, New Zealand, Australia or elsewhere, they are really helping sports bodies to introduce the game to people who wouldn’t have been able to play on proper courts otherwise.”

Across the East Asian region, the number of Special Olympics athletes has grown exponentially over the past 15 years – from less than 50,000 to more than 1 million. The increase in number stemmed from greater awareness, and family and health programmes that have persuaded attitude and policy changes, Mr Roberts said.

For more information about Packaworld’s high-quality inflatable bocce courts, view the Packabocce page of our website >>