The Montreal 2026 World Boccia Cup has delivered an early reality check for one of the game’s rising stars, as Bermuda’s Yushae DeSilva-Andrade suffered a frustrating opening-day defeat in Quebec.
DeSilva-Andrade, the 2025 Female Athlete of the Year and currently ranked 7th in the world, entered her BC1 Pool A clash against Simona Blazkova as a heavy favourite. However, the world number 17 from the Czech Republic produced a disciplined, tactical display that left the Bermudian struggling for her usual clinical rhythm, eventually securing a 6-2 victory.
Despite the result, DeSilva-Andrade remained resilient, taking to social media to acknowledge the “nature of the game” and shift focus toward her next must-win encounter.
“It wasn’t the result I wanted,” she posted. “But I’m still in it—I play my second game tomorrow against Israel.”
The road to the knockout stages remains open, but the margin for error has vanished. To secure her pathway, the Bermudian standout must find a result against Israel’s Orit Kelner later today before a looming showdown with Japan’s Hiromi Endo. For a player who has spent the last year storming into the world’s elite top ten, the pressure is now on to prove she can handle the heat of a World Cup recovery.
