Editing Bocce (section)

==Geographical spread==

The sport is also very popular on the eastern side of the [[Adriatic]], especially in [[Croatia]], [[Serbia]], [[Montenegro]], and [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], where the sport is known in [[Serbo-Croatian language|Croatian]] as ''{{lang|sh|boćanje}}'' ('playing ''{{lang|sh|boće}}''<nowiki />') or ''{{lang|sh|balote}}'' (colloquially also ''{{lang|hr|bućanje}}'').<ref name="hr">{{Cite web|url=https://hrvatski-bocarski-savez.hr/|title=Hrvatski boćarski savez - HBS|website=hrvatski-bocarski-savez.hr}}</ref><ref name="hr2">[[Croatian Bocce Federation]]</ref><ref name="bih">{{Cite web |url=http://www.bocanje-bih.com/ |title=BiH Bocce Association |access-date=2012-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529222733/http://www.bocanje-bih.com/ |archive-date=2009-05-29 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> In [[Slovenia]] the sport is known as ''{{lang|sl|balinanje}}''<ref name="slo">{{Cite web |url= http://portal.balinarska-zveza.si/ |title=Bocce Association of Slovenia |access-date=16 June 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100611221558/http://portal.balinarska-zveza.si/ |archive-date=11 June 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> or colloquially 'playing ''{{lang|sl|boče}}''<nowiki />', or ''{{lang|sl|bale}}'' (from Italian ''{{lang|it|bocce}}'' and Venetian ''{{lang|vec|bałe}}'', meaning 'balls').<ref name="slo2">{{Cite web |url= http://www.etno-muzej.si/en/spletne-zbirke/klasifikacije/igra-odraslih |title=Slovene Ethnographic Museum |access-date=13 March 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130622091515/http://www.etno-muzej.si/en/spletne-zbirke/klasifikacije/igra-odraslih |archive-date=22 June 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> There are numerous bocce leagues in the [[United States]] (USA). <ref name="US Bocce Federation">{{cite web | url=https://usbf.us/ | title="United States Bocce Federation" | access-date=16 August 2024}}</ref>

Bocce was brought to [[Venezuela]] between 1498 and 1510 by a Spanish friar or by Priest Sojo, great-uncle of [[Simón Bolívar]]. The Venezuelan modality became popular during the 1930s and is played in several [[Caribbean island]]s, including [[Aruba]], [[Curaçao]] and [[Bonaire]]. In 1946, bocce was including in the first Venezuelan National Sports Games, and in 1956 the National Venezuelan Federation of Creole Bocce was founded.<ref name="el ciudadano">{{cite news |last=Gutiérrez |first=Félix Eduardo |title=Hace más de 500 años se juega Bolas Criollas en Venezuela |date=3 January 2019 |journal=El Ciudadano |url=https://www.elciudadano.com/latinoamerica/venezuela/hace-mas-de-500-anos-se-juega-bolas-criollas-en-venezuela/01/03/ |language=es |access-date=11 April 2025 |archive-date=11 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250411162650/https://www.elciudadano.com/latinoamerica/venezuela/hace-mas-de-500-anos-se-juega-bolas-criollas-en-venezuela/01/03/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Bocce is also played in [[Brazil]]. The sport was brought between 1880 and 1930 by the [[Italian Brazilians|Italian]] families of Baggio, Zanetti, Tedesco, Merlin, Pazello, Bolisenha, Ricetti, Fressatos and Dorigos. The sport became popular on [[Curitiba]] and in 1952 the families created the bocci club Sociedade 25 de Maio. The city has also developed their own modality of bocce, "bocha clássico" (classic bocce).<ref>{{cite news |title=Em Curitiba, comunidade italiana comemora o Dia Municipal da Bocha |date=23 May 2022 |journal=Bem Paraná |url=https://www.bemparana.com.br/esportes/em-curitiba-comunidade-italiana-comemora-o-dia-municipal-da-bocha/ |language=pt-BR |access-date=11 April 2025 |archive-date=11 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250411154536/https://www.bemparana.com.br/esportes/em-curitiba-comunidade-italiana-comemora-o-dia-municipal-da-bocha/ |url-status=live}}</ref> On 25 May, the city celebrates the bocce day.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dia da Bocha: modalidade milenar sobrevive dentro de clubes tradicionais de Curitiba |date=25 May 2022 |journal=CBN Curitiba |url=https://cbncuritiba.com.br/materias/dia-da-bocha-modalidade-milenar-sobrevive-dentro-de-clubes-tradicionais-de-curitiba/ |language=pt-BR |access-date=11 April 2025 |archive-date=11 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250411153605/https://cbncuritiba.com.br/materias/dia-da-bocha-modalidade-milenar-sobrevive-dentro-de-clubes-tradicionais-de-curitiba/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Brazil is also notorious in the paralympic bocce modality. During the [[2012 Summer Paralympics]], the country conquered three gold medals and one bronze medal in the BC2 and BC4 categories.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Herbst |first1=Dulce Mari |last2=Mascarenhas |first2=Luis Paulo |last3=Slonski |first3=Edson César |title=A história do bocha paralímpico no Brasil e sua evolução como esporte de alto rendimento |url=https://www.fiepbulletin.net/fiepbulletin/article/download/2965/5783/0 |journal=FIEP Bulletin |publisher=International Federation of Physical Education and Sports |volume=83 |year=2013 |language=pt-BR}}</ref> Brazil hosted the paralympic bocce world championship twice. On [[2016 Summer Paralympics|Rio 2016]], Brazil conquered a gold medal and a silver medal in the BC3 and BC4 categories.<ref>{{cite news |title=Brasil encerra a participação da bocha nos Jogos Rio 2016 com um ouro e uma prata |date=15 September 2016 |journal=Brazilian Paralympic Committee |url=https://cpb.org.br/noticias/brasil-encerra-a-participacao-da-bocha-nos-jogos-rio-2016-com-um-ouro-e-uma-prata/ |language=pt-BR |access-date=11 April 2025 |archive-date=11 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250411155946/https://cpb.org.br/noticias/brasil-encerra-a-participacao-da-bocha-nos-jogos-rio-2016-com-um-ouro-e-uma-prata/ |url-status=live}}</ref> On 2022, the World Championship was hosted again on [[Rio de Janeiro]], and Brazil conquered one gold, three silver and three bronze medals.<ref>{{cite news |title=Brasil encerra Copa do Mundo de bocha com sete medalhas no Rio de Janeiro |date=2 May 2022 |journal=Brazilian Paralympic Committee |url=https://cpb.org.br/noticias/brasil-encerra-copa-do-mundo-de-bocha-com-sete-medalhas-no-rio-de-janeiro/ |language=pt-BR |access-date=11 April 2025 |archive-date=11 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250411160453/https://www.gov.br/mds/pt-br/noticias-e-conteudos/esporte/noticias_esporte/com-medalhistas-paralimpicos-e-atletas-que-disputaram-as-paralimpiadas-escolares-rio-de-janeiro-recebe-o-mundial-de-bocha |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2025, Curitiba hosted the Youth Bocce World Cup.<ref>{{cite news |title=Curitiba recebe Copa do Mundo de Jovens de Bocha|date=31 March 2025 |journal=[[Ministry of Sports (Brazil)|Ministry of Sports]] |url=https://www.gov.br/esporte/pt-br/noticias-e-conteudos/esporte/curitiba-recebe-copa-do-mundo-de-jovens-de-bocha |language=pt-BR |access-date=11 April 2025 |archive-date=11 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250411161341/https://www.gov.br/esporte/pt-br/noticias-e-conteudos/esporte/curitiba-recebe-copa-do-mundo-de-jovens-de-bocha |url-status=live}}</ref>