Organizations database

Confederazione Boccistica Internazionale

On September 3 1983, at Chiasso during the 1st World Team Championship, delegates from 20 nations meet in the Assembly - Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, R.F. Germany, Italy, Paraguay, Peru, San Marino, United States, Switzerland, Uruguay, China, Yugoslavia, Poland, and Portugal - 13 nations give life to the CBI International Bocconi Confederation. The President is called a great enthusiast and enlightened leader of the world of the Swiss adv. Giovanni A. Baggio who passed away after leading the CBI successfully for 14 years.

In September 1985, the 2nd International Congress took place in Milan.

On November 29, 1987, in Buenos Aires, on the occasion of the third edition of the World Championships with the presence of 24 teams, the 3rd International Congress took place.

In 1988 the CBI organized the 1st Individual World Championship with the participation of 42 athletes representing 21 nations.

In September 1991, the tradition of the 5th International Congress took place in parallel with the 5th edition of the World Team Championships.

In September 1997 in San Marino, on the occasion of the Men's, Women's and Under 21 individual World Championships, the president of Italian Federation, Mr. Romolo Rizzoli was unanimously elected as the second President of CBI. This appointment was confirmed by acclamation in 2001 in Queven, in 2005 in Detroit, in 2010 and 2015 in Rome.

After resigning of Romolo Rizzoli, the extraordinary assembly held in Mendrisio, Switzerland, on 26th of May 2018, Dr. Mutlu Turkmen from Turkey was elected unanimously as the third president.

In December 2006, Romolo Rizzoli was elected to the President of CMSB, thus bringing for the first time a manager of the Raffa specialty at the top of the world's Bocce movement. In 2010 this position was unanimously reconfirmed. Rizzoli kept this position until 2014 when Claude Azema was elected as the president of CMSB.

Since 1997, the Raffa specialty has undoubtedly achieved significant milestones in the main multidisciplinary competitions recognized by the IOC.

In June 1997 it was admitted in the official program of the Mediterranean Games of Bari, together with the petanque and volo. This presence was confirmed in the 2009 edition of Pescara and definitively confirmed for the next edition of 2013 in Mersin (Turkey).

Likewise, this specialty has obtained the definitive insertion in the official program of one of the most prestigious events of the World Games, a competition that sees the participation of all the non-Olympic disciplines. Present in the July 2005 edition in Duisburg, as a demonstration sport, it had such a success after this first participation to be confirmed for all the following editions, Kaoshiung (Taiwan) 2009, Cali 2013, and Wroclaw 2017.

It should also be remembered that the competitive activity has touched new geographical realities as in January 2000 when the World Championships for men's teams were organized in Welkom (South Africa), landing for the first time on the African continent.

In 2001 in Ossana (Italy) the first World Championships for women's teams were organized, thus equating the program for women and men, considering that the teams participating in youth competitions can indifferently be composed of men and women.

In 2009 in Bevagna thanks to the will of President Rizzoli, assisted by the president of the International Volo Federation, Lagier Bruno, the specialty raffa was the protagonist along with the specialty of the lyonnaise (volo) of the first world championship united raffa and volo that got an amazing success.

From 1983 to today the course of the sport of bocce has been significant and capillary and no doubt the CBI has contributed to this journey. This success is to be attributed to the many managers and patrons who over the years have worked with a spirit of sacrifice and dedication in the various positions held. Everyone has not spared will and work for the promotion of the sport of bowls and specifically the specialty of raffa. Today the CBI has almost 70 participating countries, representing all the 4 major continents. This universality is also expressed in the Executive Committee. It is a structure that wants to be the source of an action to promote the sport bocce not only understood as a competitive activity but also considering the future development of the population as a source of sporting practice from the deepest human and social values.