New boccia court opens at CRP to boost local Para sports 

A new chapter has opened for Bangladesh's Para sports with the inauguration of a dedicated boccia court at the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) in Savar on Saturday.

The court was established on the initiative of the National Paralympic Committee of Bangladesh (NPC Bangladesh), with the aim of creating a regular training base and widening the pathway for talent development in boccia.

CRP founder Dr Valerie A. Taylor attended the inauguration as chief guest, while NPC Bangladesh vice-president and former Bangladesh national cricketer Md Sanowar Hossain formally inaugurated the court. 

NPC Bangladesh secretary general Dr Maruf Ahmed Mridul delivered the welcome address. The event was chaired by NPC Bangladesh executive member and CRP executive director Prof Dr Mohammad Sohrab Hossain, whose position at CRP is independently confirmed by the organisation. 

NPC Bangladesh deputy secretary general Md Hedayatul Aziz, treasurer Md Asiful Hasan Masud, executive member Farida Akter Asma and Md Tanvir Ahmed, president of Asia Para Archery, were also present.

Among those attending were Bangladesh's early boccia practitioners Md Anwar Hossain and Md Rashed Ahmed, along with coaches Md Abdus Selim and Md Mustafizur Rahman Bulbul.

Speakers said the court would provide an important platform for regular training, talent identification and skills development, while helping create a more inclusive sporting environment for people with disabilities.

Boccia is a Paralympic precision sport built around strategy, control and accuracy. Players aim to roll or throw coloured balls as close as possible to a white target ball, known as the jack. The sport has been part of the Paralympic programme since 1984. 
With Bangladesh's Para movement gathering momentum, the new court could prove a valuable stepping stone.