The Board
THE CURRENT WORLD BOCCIA BOARD WAS ELECTED BY THE MEMBERS AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HELD IN OCTOBER 2023. JON MORGAN WAS DUELY ELECTED AS PRESIDENT.
As a UK registered company, World Boccia is subject to strict governance provisions. World Boccia was led by a ‘founding’ Board of Directors until the first General Assembly meeting in 2014. A number of Committees regulate important facets of the game, including: Rules; Classification; Competitions; Development; Referees and Anti-Doping.
The Board meets regularly by telephone conference call to conduct business, and meet formally (also by telephone conference call) at least six times a year. World Boccia will hold biennial General Assembly meetings of its members. The next World Boccia General Assembly will take place in 2025.
Jon Morgan
President - 2023 and Vice-President and Treasurer - 2017 to 2023
Jon was elected to the World Boccia Board as Treasurer at the World Boccia General Assembly in 2017. Jon is a former member of the board of the UK Boccia Federation, former Vice Chair of Commonwealth Games Wales and a former board member of the Welsh Sports Association. Jon will be standing down from his position as Chair of Active Disability Ireland in July 2023.
Jon has been a disability sport management professional for over 30 years. In the past he has held the position of Chief Executive Officer for Disability Sport Wales; Event Director for the Swansea 2014 IPC Athletics European Championships and was a board member with the British Paralympic Association (BPA) for two cycles between 2005 – 2013.
Jon is founder / Director of a sports consultancy business working primarily with Welsh government, national sports agencies, national sports federations and local/regional government projects.
Marta Mascarenhas
Secretary General - 2017 to 2025
Marta was elected to the World Boccia Board as Member at large at the World Boccia General Assembly in 2017. Since 2012 Marta has worked at PCAND (Portuguese Cerebral Palsy Sports Association) in the development of the following sports for athletes with cerebral palsy: Boccia, 7 a side football, Wheelchair Slalom and Racerunning..
The contact with different athletes and countries, while organising several World Boccia competitions held in Portugal, has provided Marta with a deep knowledge of the Sport.
Governance
Documents
Wai Ki LAU - Ricky
Term - 2021 to 2025
Ricky had been working in the field of sport administration and development for more than 10 years before joining the BISFed Board. His involvement in different sports in various capacities have provided him with opportunities to learn from different professional sports and will help him apply the appropriate knowledge and perspective to World Boccia.
He is also the coach of the Hong Kong Boccia team and a qualified World Boccia Coach Educator. His involvement at all levels of boccia coaching will be a great input to the World Boccia Board.
Elsa Matthee
Term - 2021 to 2025
Elsa has been involved with Boccia for over 19 years and was a member of the initial Board when the International Federation a was created. Classification is her major area of expertise, having qualified as an international classifier in 2003 and previously y leading the World Boccia Classification Committee as Chair.
The development of Boccia, especially in Africa, is a priority for her which will give the World Boccia Board vision to further grow our Sport.
Itzik Azouly
Term - 2021 to 2025
Itzik has played a central role in developing Boccia in Israel since 2009, when it was introduced as a National Sport. Since 2012 he has been s the Israeli Team Manager and in 2015 was appointed as the head of the Israeli Boccia Committee. In 2017 he was elected to World Boccia’s Competitions & Rules Committee. This vast experience will no doubt be of great insight to his role on the World Boccia Board.
Romuald Schmidt
Term - 2021 to 2025
Romuald has been President of the Polish Boccia Association since 2015 and an organizer of World Boccia competitions. He has also helped develop Boccia in a number of European countries, is a Boccia instructor and has been the Chef de Mission for NPC Poland at the Tokyo 2020 and Pyeongchang 2018 Games. His vast experience at several levels of the Paralympic movement will no doubt help the World Boccia Board develop the sport even further.
Richard Boele
Term - 2023 to 2025
Richard started his career as a human rights campaigner. Since the mid-90s he has specifically worked on the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, working with some of the world’s most recognisable companies. In 2015 his business was bought by one of the world’s larger consultancies where continues to work in a leadership role.
During his career he has held a range of governance roles including being made the Chair of Boccia Australia in 2019. He was appointed to the World Boccia board in February 2023 and looks forward to bringing his international professional services capabilities to support boccia’s continued growth and success.
Erinaldo Chagas
Term - 2023 to 2025
Erinaldo (Pit) is Vice President of our Brazilian Member, ANDE. He is also a previous World Boccia Board member having served as an Appointed board member for two years when World Boccia was set up in 2013. Erinaldo has been involved in every Paralympic Games since 2004 Athens, including being the Venue General Manager for nine sports (including Boccia) at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. He will be our Technical Delegate for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. He was also instrumental in the successful staging of our recent World Championships in Rio.
