Bochas – also called Bocce – is popular in Uruguay and my son played on a team during winter (nothing else to do really) when we lived in a small beach town on the Atlantic coast. They take the sport seriously in South America and it can be very competitive.
He was fortunate to be welcomed on the team and when they saw how he could play (a natural and one of the top players after only a few months of practice) he became a valued team member of what later became the local championship team.
I’d walk from our little Bungalow many nights to go into the local gym where the bochas court was, owned by an Uruguayan whos grandson was one of the champ players as well.
He would be heating up the grills for the chorizo (grilled sausage served on a bun) I would be chowing down on an our or so later, a bonus to getting my arse off the couch and out in the bone chilling cold weather to go watch practice or a game.
It was a family affair as much as a sport, with everyone – except us – knowing each other for years, many all their lives, some related to each other and a few married couples thrown in for good measure.
The sport is similar to lawn bowling in the U.S. (closest thing to compare it to) but the balls are spherical and not weighted to one side. A small green ‘jack’ is thrown to start play and then the race is on to see who can get the most balls closest to the jack.
