The new courts helping to fuel a bocce boom in Puerto Rico

New portable courts are supporting an explosion in bocce ball popularity in Puerto Rico, with scores of athletes taking part in the latest round of the island’s national Special Olympics tournament and a new unified bocce carnival for students.

Between them, the Special Olympics National Bocce Tournament event in Cataño and Adapted Sport Carnival in Caguas engaged hundreds of Special Olympics athletes, unified partners, families, volunteers and supporters.

Both events took place on new portable bocce ball courts from Packaworld, allowing for easy court transportation to venues and providing an eye-catching and wheelchair-accessible stage for participants.

Speaking after the Cataño round of the national tournament, held in the Court La Puntilla de Cataño at the end of March, Municipality of Cataño Mayor Julio Alicea Vasallo emphasized the inclusive values the municipality held.

“In Cataño, inclusion is not just a statement – it is a constant practice. This tournament reflects the work we are doing to create real opportunities where all citizens can participate, grow, and showcase their talents.”

The tournament event included 11 divisions across multiple skill levels, including a new a unified exhibition category, where athletes with and without intellectual disabilities competed together – in many cases parents playing alongside their children.

The Adapted Sport Carnival in Caguas was organized by Special Olympics Puerto Rico, the Department of Education’s Adapted Physical Education Program, the Puerto Rico Bocce Federation, and the Municipality of Caguas.

It was hosted at Roger Mendoza Coliseum and featured hands-on workshops as well as unified bocce matches between students with and without intellectual disabilities from the Caguas educational region.

Special Olympics Puerto Rico bocce co-ordinator and event co-organizer Egidio Fantauzzi said the initiative was driven by a desire among all the organizing organizations to promote the sport among students.

He said bocce ball was one of the most appealing sports for individuals with intellectual disabilities in Puerto Rico, and Puerto Rican representatives often returned from international Special Olympics events with medals.

Packaworld chief executive Peter Roberts said he was pleased to see the benefits of portable Packabocce courts being realized in Puerto Rico and hoped to see participation continuing to rise.

“Everyone deserves the chance to experience the joy of sport and I’m delighted to see the way bocce organizers across Puerto Rico are embracing portable courts to bring the game to more people."

Some participants at the bocce events used wheelchairs, and Roberts said it was rewarding to see photos of their smiles as they entered and exited the new portable courts through wheelchair access gates specially engineered into their designs.

The next round of its Special Olympics National Bocce Tournament is coming up in San Juan on 2 May, as athletes continue their build up for the Special Olympics Puerto Rico National Games in Ponce in October.

Photos courtesy of Special Olympics Puerto Rico.

Highlights from the Special Olympics National Bocce Tournament