DeSilva-Andrade ‘Excited’ To Be In World Top 10
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Yushae DeSilva-Andrade has high hopes for the coming year after breaking into the world’s top ten boccia players for the first time following a superb showing at the Boccia World Championships in Rio de Janeiro.
DeSilva-Andrade produced a string of fine performances to reach the quarter-finals of the championships earlier this month to climb 13 places in the rankings from 23rd to tenth.
She won two of three group-stage games in Rio to reach the knockout stage of a major tournament for the first time before losing 3-2 to Dora Basic, of Croatia, in the quarters.
DeSilva-Andrade’s new ranking will boost her chances of getting better draws in competitions as she builds towards the Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, in November next year.
Since returning to competitive action at the World Boccia Cup in Povoa de Varzim, northern Portugal, in July after a two-year layoff because of the Covid-19 pandemic, DeSilva-Andrade said she has been surprised by her steady progress.
She also won the bronze medal in the women’s BC1 women’s division at the Veldhoven World Boccia Challenger event in the Netherlands in August.
“It’s crazy to be in the top ten,” DeSilva-Andrade told Bernews. “When I heard I was in the top ten, I had to call my mom. I was like, ‘This is crazy’. I’m so excited about it.
“It’s been my first year competing since Covid. It’s all happened so fast.
“I was just trying to figure out where I was after a two-year break. I definitely feel ahead of schedule.”
DeSilva-Andrade said the highlight of her year was undoubtedly reaching the quarters in Rio.
“When I won bronze in the Netherlands, I knew I was further along than I thought,” she added. “That gave me more motivation. To finish in the top five in Rio was an awesome feeling for me. It was my fourth World Championships and my best performance.”
Yushae DeSilva-Andrade in the World Boccia Opening Ceremony in Brazil this December
