Disability Sport Northern Ireland will host the UK Boccia Championships for the first time this weekend.
Northern Ireland have a five-strong team competing at the Antrim Forum on Saturday and Sunday with Paralympian Claire Taggart among the favourites to medal.
The Co Antrim native is the defending UK Champion and wants to retain her title on home soil.
“I do feel the pressure," she said.
"I’m more nervous about this one than any of the internationals I have been to this year and I just need to knuckle down and ignore everything that is going on externally and focus on what I’m doing and what I can control.
“I think there is a little bit of pressure with it being at home but I think this is a really good opportunity to show and prove that we are one of the developing home nations and that it should be good for Northern Ireland.
“It is a great opportunity to show what we have on offer here and it can be used for hopefully maybe an Open or a BISFed event and to show the beauty of Northern Ireland.'
Taggart has taken home four medals from her last two events in Zagreb and Prague and is hoping to keep her recent run of good form going in the UK Championships, which is sponsored by TBC Conversions and Antrim and Newtonabbey Borough Council.
“Zagreb is probably my highest achievement yet and it has knocked my world ranking up to 20 and the third top female and I’m thrilled with that," she added.
"It is something that I and my family are very proud of and it was quiet nice to be the first person to get an individual medal for Northern Ireland.
“Prague was an interesting one. I won an individual bronze and a team silver and it was my first time captaining the team as well so I was really pleased with that.
"I think we worked well as a team and my individual bronze topped the weekend off but I came straight home into a training camp so I hope to continue that into this weekend and hope to retain my British title.”
Taggart represented Great Britain at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio and is hoping to make the plane to Tokyo next year.
“The plan is to qualify for Tokyo but we’re a long way off that yet," she said.
"But we still have lots of time.
"The British is definitely part of that in the run up to the European Championships in Sevilla and if I can start strong with the British and continue the form I've had from Zagreb and Prague I think we’ll be in a good position and I’m good to knuckle down, work hard and do everything I can to get there.”
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