Last week, Stephen McGuire MBE and Sophie Newnham won gold in the BC4 Pairs event at the World Boccia Championships in Seoul.
The world number ones faced China in a tense final, which saw the Brits take a 3-0 lead after two ends. But China came back strong in the third to equalise. With everything to play for in the fourth end, Sophie played the winning shots, with her final ball ending up right on top of the jack.
Still only 18 years old, this is her first ever World Championships:
“I don’t really have the words right now, laughed Newnham. What a game – we always said it was going to be a battle and it certainly was. The third end got a bit nervy for us and going into the fourth at 3-all, we knew it was going to be a one-end battle. But we managed to get over the line.”
“I would have liked to have progressed further in the individuals, so to take home some bling is a wonderful feeling, and I’m sure we’ll celebrate tonight.”
Stephen McGuire said it was a privilege to play with her:
“She’s amazing. It’s her first World Championships and gold medal in the Pairs – those last three shots she played were spot on.”
In the semi-finals, they beat Paralympic Champions Colombia on a tiebreak and overcame Portugal 8-1 in the quarters.
For Stephen, who first competed at the World Championships twenty years ago, it was a milestone moment:
“It’s been 16 years since GB has been in a final in the Pairs, so to get the win is fantastic. It’s been a wonderful week.”
The duo has been playing for three seasons. In 2025, they won gold at every tournament they entered. They were crowned European Champions in 2025 and will soon be gearing up for the LA Paralympic Games.
Head Coach Rikki Bingham said: “To come away with a gold medal at a World Championships in Asia is a huge achievement as the continent dominated the event. In the BC4 pairs medal matches, every athlete except Sophie had a Paralympic medal, so it was extremely competitive.”
Read: Sophie Newnham: Teenage Talent Leading The Next Generation In British Boccia
Team GB Boccia athletes build momentum ahead of LA 2028
While the squad will be celebrating the victory, they will be reflecting on what they can learn from the individuals. Seven out of eight players escaped the pool and into the knockout rounds, with four reaching quarter-finals. David Smith OBE got as far as the semi-finals and was then denied the bronze medal after coming up against old rival Witsanu Huadpradit.
David will surely be heartened, however, by solid performances this week – individually and in the Team event. The Team, which hasn’t played much recently because Kayleigh Brown has been on maternity leave, beat South Korea, who are ranked third in the world, on tiebreak and Slovakia 10-2.
The BC3 Pair was also able to build experience. Sally Kidson and Patrick Wilson came close to overcoming Hong Kong – the world number three – losing 4-5, which augurs well for the new partnership.
Rikki Bingham added, “Overall, the squad has shown significant potential. There were several near misses, but we had opportunities, and everyone demonstrated the capability to bridge the gap as we move closer to LA.”
Read: Patrick Wilson: A Boccia Career Defined By Resilience, Precision And Comeback
You can find out more about Boccia UK by visiting its website and following on Facebook and Instagram.