Dominant Smith scoops Boccia World Open gold

Tokyo 2021

**David Smith reasserted his Boccia dominance with a clean sweep of victories at the season’s final BISFed World Open in Povoa, Portugal. **

Smith, 30, is world number one and reigning Paralympic, world and European champion, so two defeats at the second World Open of the season in Hong Kong were keenly felt.

But the Eastleigh star was in a class of his own in romping to gold on the peninsula, winning all four pool games and conceding just six points in the process.

He beat European silver medallist Panagiotis Soulanis 8-0 and enjoyed equalling convincing victories of Thailand’s Natthawut Deemak, Japan’s Hiromi Endo and Andre Luiz Filho.

And he demolished South Korea’s Youngjin Roh 12-2 and Brazil’s Jose Carlos Chagas de Oliveira 8-0 to reach the last two.

In a repeat of last year’s final that Smith won 4-0, he saw off Mikhail Gutnik by the narrower margin of 4-3 to take the title.

Capping a successful week for GB Louis Saunders and Stephen McGuire met in the BC4 bronze-medal match, McGuire beating his compatriot 7-5 to reach the rostrum.

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