By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

The Azerbaijani bocce team has won three medals at the Intercontinental Challenger competitions in Zagreb.

Bahruz Mirzoyev and Sona Aghayeva secured two gold medals while Orkhan Karimov grabbed one bronze medal.

National team also earned their first ranking points for participation in the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris.

Azerbaijani delegation at the Intercontinental Challenger was headed by the Secretary General of the Azerbaijan Bocce Federation Ilham Maharramov.

The national team expressed its gratitude to the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Croatia Fakhraddin Gurbanov for his support.

Bocce is an Italian bowling game, similar to bowls and boules. The game was first introduced to the Paralympics in 1984. It  is one of the only two Paralympic sports that do not have an Olympic counterpart.

In Azerbaijan, the Bocce Federation was established in 2018.

Azerbaijan's bocce team has already achieved the first victories in international competitions.

In 2019, the 6th Seni Bocce Cup in Baku brought together more than 60 paralympians.

The championship was co-organized by the National Paralympic Committee as well as Bocce and Seni Federation.

Seni Cup Bocce tournament among paralympians was held in Azerbaijan last year.

The championship was dedicated to the first anniversary of the Azerbaijan's victory in the 44-day Patriotic War.

The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of state, public and sports organizations, Paralympians, veterans of the first and second Karabakh wars.

The winners and prize-winners were awarded cups, medals and diplomas.