Bermuda's 70-year-old Steve Wilson has become the first athlete from his country to win an international boccia title after taking the BC4 gold medal at the Regional Open in Buenos Aires ©BISFed

Bermuda's 70-year-old Steve Wilson has become the first  athlete from his country to win an international boccia title after taking the BC4 gold medal at the Regional Open in Buenos Aires.

Wilson secured the historic triumph for his country in fine style, winning all six of his matches.

The final saw him beat home favourite Khalil Profiti, who is 52 years younger than him, 4-1.

Wilson scored two in the first end to stamp his authority on proceedings and went onto repeat his victory over the Argentinean from the pool stage.  

Little more than six years ago, Bermuda did not boast a single boccia team but, led by the WindReach Club, of which Wilson is a member, the nation is swiftly making its mark on the sport.

Wilson, the current world number 42, now has his sights firmly set on qualifying for the Parapan American Games in Lima next year and then heading to Tokyo for the Paralympic Games in 2020.

According to the Boccia International Sports Federation, he is the sport’s oldest medallist in history.

Mexico’s Karla Manuel Enriquez beat the United States’ Henry Sawyer to secure third place and the bronze medal.

Boccia Regional Opens are held in various locations across the world ©BISFed
Boccia Regional Opens are held in various locations across the world ©BISFed

Manuel Enriquez’s compatriot Eduardo Sanchez Reyes proved virtually untouchable in the BC1 competition, living up to his billing as the pre-tournament favourite.

Comfortably the highest-ranked competitor in the field, the world number 10 suffered few alarms en route to the gold medal, which he won by defeating fellow Mexican Eduardo Ventura 4-1 in the final.

In the BC2 category, Jonathan Aquino stormed through to win an all-Argentine thriller in the final against countryman Luis Cristaldo.

Cristaldo, the current world number eight, claimed the early initiative to lead 3-0 at the halfway stage but Aquino, having got on the board in the third end, scored three points at the death to secure a 4-3 victory.

Both players eased through their semi-finals with Aquino beating Mexico's Dubier Paredes Moroyoqui 9-1 and Cristaldo thrashing Chile’s Lenik Sepulveda 10-0.

Colombia had three representatives in the penultimate round of the BC3 event with Carlos Tinjaca Suta advancing to beat team-mate Jesus Romero 5-1 in the final.

The next BISFed competition is due to be the Chinese Taipei Boccia Regional Open in Taoyuan from November 28 to December 2.