SINGAPORE – Singapore’s Aloysius Gan and Yan Jia Yi ended their campaign at the inaugural World Boccia Youth Championships in style, winning gold in the pairs event in Povoa de Varzim, Portugal on Thursday.

The duo lost to France but beat teams from Brazil, Portugal and Canada to finish top of their round-robin group and claim the title.

Yan had earlier collected a bronze in the BC3 individual (female) category, while Gan was crowned champion in the BC3 individual (male) event.

The July 8-14 competition drew more than 50 youth para-athletes from 12 countries.

Yan, 18, paid tribute to her competition partner Chew Ziqun and added she was thrilled with her results.

Gan, 16, had clinched a silver at the Asean Para Games in Phnom Penh in June. The teenager, whose mother Eve Cher was his competition partner, was pleased with his latest haul.

He said: “I’ve chosen the right tactics and have been able to execute what I trained for in Singapore.

“After winning my first end, I had to maintain my composure and focus for the subsequent matches. I believe this is the key to winning the game.”

Singapore Disability Sports Council executive director Kelly Fan praised the two youngsters.

She said: “We are incredibly proud of Aloysius and Jia Yi for their outstanding achievements, they still have a long way to go, but this is a promising start.”

She also highlighted the role of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School, which both Gan and Yan attend, and noted: “We were able to unearth their potential, thanks to a very supportive system. We hope that more educational institutions and corporates will come forward to support our youth with disabilities, enabling them to realise their full potential through sport.”