About 90 Queensland and interstate bocce players were welcomed to the Redlands coast by Mayor Karen Williams at the launch of the national bocce championships at the Redlands Sporting Club on June 8.
It was the first time she coined the new logo for the Redlands citing 300km of coastline, but not the first for the national players who returned to the centre for the second time. Redlands has already hosted the national championships in 2013.
Sporting Club President Don Seccombe promised a very different centre should the championships return, with the centre about to undergo a $4m rennovation.
At the opening ceremony, players from 22 teams were piped onto the bocce courts by the Redland Sporting Club pipe band with members of the Redland Special Olympics bocce team holding the name placards.
Mayor Karen Williams said the event celebrated the sport of bocce which had brought this community together.
“Bocce was one of the founding sports behind the establishment of the Redland Sporting Club. The game has been played outdoors until 1988 and indoors since 1992 with strong support from the Italian community. It’s a celebration of European heritage,” she said.
The event was the 48th national mens and 23rd national women’s championships. Presentations were given on June 11.
