Will Hipwell earns golden glory with Great Britain at the Boccia World Cup in Portugal

Will Hipwell is looking ahead to December’s World Boccia Championships with an extra boost of confidence after winning a gold medal with GB at the World Cup in Povoa, Portugal.

The 35-year-old Papworth Everard-based player, who competed at the Tokyo Paralympic Games last year, helped win gold in the BC1/2 Team event alongside David Smith and Claire Taggart.

Hipwell said: “It was a brilliant performance by the team. Prior to the tournament, we said we wanted to be brave with our decision-making.

“Throughout the tournament, we all took on some really brave shots. Going into the final, I’d been struggling to find the pace and consistency required for my lay up shots. But during the final, I found that consistency level which helped us achieve the victory.

“To win the final was the most fantastic and happy feeling I’ve ever felt on a boccia court!”

Smith added: “We came into 2022 with the aim of moving up the rankings, slowly improving to the top four. We were under no illusions what it was going to take. Povoa was to be a stepping stone and we were aiming for a top-eight finish.

“I hope that with a successful Boccia UK team, it inspires more team competition at National level. We have a proud history of Team and Pairs success – let’s keep adding to it.”

The achievement is set to help lift the British BC1/2 Team’s world ranking ahead of the World Championships in Brazil in December.