Bermuda’s boccia trio are among those battling it out for an automatic qualification spot at next year’s Paralympic Games in Tokyo, competing in the Sao Paulo Americas Regional Championships.

Steve Wilson, Omar Hayward and Yushae DeSilva-Andrade are representing the nation at the champioships in the individual division, with Wilson competing in the BC4 classification, while Hayward and Desilva are going head-to-head within the BC1 classification.

The winners of each class will automatically qualify for 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo, while vaulable ranking points are available towards qualification for those who do not seal an automatic berth.

The championships commenced yesterday with all three of Bermuda’s competitors in action.

Wilson was the first of the trio to take to the court taking on Jose Maria Buzzo, of Argentina, in Pool D.

In a topsy-turvy match, Wilson got off to a promising start, taking a 2-0 advantage after the first end, but found himself 3-2 behind after the second.

Wilson hit back again with a 3-0 success in the third end to edge 5-3 ahead, but his opponent enjoyed a brilliant final end, scoring four unanswered points to clinch an overall 7-5 victory.

Meanwhile, Hayward and DeSilva found themselves pitted against one another at the very first opportunity.

Hayward stole the early advantage, going 3-0 ahead after the first end, but Desilva hit back to level the scores in the second.

Desilva then gained a two point advantage in the third, with Hayward winning the final end, but only 1-0, as Desilva took a narrow 5-4 win.

All three play their remaining matches today, with the competition concluding tomorrow.