Cover Boccia athlete John Loung won his first gold in the men’s individual BC1 event at the Paris 2024 Paralympics (Photo: Issac Lam)
Boccia athlete John Loung won his first gold in the men’s individual BC1 event at the Paris 2024 Paralympics (Photo: Issac Lam)
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Boccia athlete John Loung has gone from strength to strength, winning his first Paralympic medal this year—and the city’s first at the 2024 Games
When Hong Kong’s boccia athlete John Loung heard the judge announce his victory at the men’s individual BC1 event at the Paralympic Games this year, he couldn’t contain his excitement and screamed. Having represented Hong Kong as a Paralympian in Athens, Beijing and Rio de Janeiro but missed out on a podium finish, he finally clinched his first Paralympic medal in Paris—a gold. It was also the city’s first medal at this year’s games.
“I was absolutely thrilled and emotional. Finally, I achieved my dream and completed the most challenging milestone for an athlete,” Loung says. “The key reason I was able to win a gold medal this time was that I was able to capitalise on all the basic skills I had practised during my training and remained determined to win.”
Loung learnt to play boccia at about six and became increasingly invested in it because of the sense of satisfaction he gained from playing. He was selected to join the Hong Kong boccia team in 1999 and eventually became a full-time athlete in 2017 when a government scheme supporting para-athletes kicked off. As with all athletes, he faces some physical challenges; in his case, they’re due mostly to cerebral palsy. “I’ve had to deal with occasional spasms in my body, which made playing boccia challenging. I need to train my muscles to better control the tension, and it’s an ongoing process,” he says.
Boccia’s BC1 classification is for athletes with severe impairment affecting all limbs, limited functional range of motion and coordination, who have difficulty changing sitting positions and gripping and releasing the ball, but can throw consistently with their hands or kick with their feet.
Above Loung was selected to join the Hong Kong boccia team in 1999 (Photo: Issac Lam)
Loung was selected to join the Hong Kong boccia team in 1999 (Photo: Issac Lam)
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Before this year’s medal, Loung’s best individual performance at the Paralympics was in Beijing in 2008, where he finished ninth; he did not qualify for the Games in Tokyo. But he refuses to be affected by such experiences, saying he treats all his previous matches as opportunities from which he can learn how to improve: “I approach each match as a fresh start.”
Having dedicated decades to boccia, Loung says the sport has become an integral part of his “flavourful” life, enriched with both ups and downs. “It’s bitter when I feel like giving up because the tension in my body hinders me from throwing the balls,” he says. “However, there’s a sweetness in the accomplishment of winning medals and building friendships with people from all over the world during tournaments.”
Above Loung wears Kenzo jacket and pants and his own necklaces (Photo: Issac Lam)
Above Loung says boccia has enriched his life with ups and downs (Photo: Issac Lam)
Loung wears Kenzo jacket and pants and his own necklaces (Photo: Issac Lam)
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Among those friendships—one of his closest—is with his teammate Leung Yuk-wing. They met at Hong Kong Red Cross Princess Alexandra School and now train together, enjoying each other’s company both inside and outside the arena. “I love to talk about
silly things with him. When I say something on the street, no one could hear it,” says the Paralympian, who faces difficulties with speech. “Then he will repeat it loudly [so everyone can hear]. It’s so funny.”
Loung’s determination to pursue success in boccia stems from one belief: “Despite other people’s doubts about my potential for success, I remained steadfast in my belief that I could carve out a name for myself.” It is this self-esteem and determination that drives the 38-year-old to keep aiming for the top—and it’s an attitude he has no intention of dropping: “I’ll keep playing boccia until I can’t any more.”
Need to know: What is boccia?
Boccia was first introduced at the Paralympics in 1984 and has no Olympic equivalent. It is a precision ball sport, where players throw, kick or use a ramp to propel a ball onto the court, with the goal of getting closest to a “jack” ball. It is similar to bocce and designed for athletes with a disability affecting locomotor function.
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Creative Direction: Zoe Yau
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Based in Hong Kong, editor Yoyo Chow covers the people and ideas redefining Asia’s future—from cutting-edge innovation and AI to bold moves in sustainability and diversity. She also drives content for Tatler Gen.T in Hong Kong, a platform and community spotlighting the region’s next generation of startup founders, creatives and changemakers.
Before that, she was a video journalist producing content for international TV and digital platforms, including Reuters and South China Morning Post. If you have a powerful story to share, she’s all ears. Send press materials, event invites and any inquiries to yoyo.chow@tatlerasia.com.
