'Beyond gutted' Taggart & GB team-mates suffer boccia heartbreak

Claire Taggart's hopes of a Paralympics boccia badge were cruelly dashed arsenic she and her Great Britain team-mates suffered an agonising tie-break conclusion against Indonesia successful nan BC1/2 quarter-final connected Wednesday.

The Great Britain trio of Larne female Taggart, Kayleigh Haggo and David Smith fought backmost from 4-0 down to beryllium connected nan brink of triumph astatine 7-5 only for nan Indonesians to level astatine 7-7 to unit nan tie-break, which they won 2-0.

A devastated Taggart blamed herself for not closing retired nan lucifer successful nan sixth extremity arsenic alternatively nan Indonesians took nan lucifer into abrupt decease earlier clinching victory.

"It was benignant of connected maine to seal nan game, decorativeness nan crippled disconnected and evidently I didn’t do that truthful evidently I’m beyond gutted that I’ve fto these guys down truthful badly," said nan 29-year-old region Antrim female arsenic she said alongside Haggo and Smith.

"They are shaking their heads but they cognize I’m really disappointed successful myself and disappointed that I’ve fto them down."

An affectional Taggart paid peculiar tribute to Haggo, who only took up nan athletics "only 2 years ago".

Smith said nan expanding spot of teams specified arsenic Indonesia, China and Korea is only making achieving occurrence "harder and harder" and appealed for "greater finance successful boccia astatine UK level".

"More leagues, much clubs….people playing astatine a section level to situation america to push america to springiness america opportunities to play astatine home. We person to recreation each astir nan world conscionable to get immoderate decent squad games," said Smith.

"If we had immoderate fun, enjoyable matches astatine location that we could get our teeth into, play pinch different players, play pinch able-bodied people, it would make it a batch easier erstwhile you are coming present and trying to fig it out."

After trailing 4-0 pursuing nan opening 2 ends, Great Britain reduced nan separator to 4-3 and while Indonesia past edged 5-3 ahead, Taggart and her team-mates secured a 4-0 triumph successful extremity 5 to move 7-5 up.

But Indonesia, who included Gischa Zayana who hit Taggart successful nan bronze badge lucifer successful nan individual competition, ensured nan tie-break by winning extremity six 2-0, earlier clinching triumph by a akin margin.

The Great Britain trio had progressed to nan quarter-finals by edging retired Portugal 5-4 connected Tuesday nighttime aft a 13-1 conclusion against China successful their earlier group match.

Taggart, 29, was competing successful her 3rd Paralympics pursuing her appearances astatine nan Rio and Tokyo Games.

The Larne female has won World Championship and European Championship medals successful summation to triumphs astatine World Cup level but has ne'er secured a Paralympics medal.

Her further sporting engagement includes being accessibility serviceman astatine Irish Premiership champions Larne.