Bahrain has completed all preparations to host the 2022 International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Goalball Asia Pacific Championship on July 25-29, it has been announced.
Executive Director of 2022 IBSA Goalball Asia Pacific Championship, Khalid Al-Bastaki, said that the designation of Bahrain as hosts of the event, which is held every four years, reflects IBSA’s confidence in the kingdom’s distinguished organisational potentials.
It is also in line with the directives of HM the King’s Representative for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport, HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, as well as the interest of the HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, he said.
He also affirmed the interest of the Bahrain Paralympic Committee President, Shaikh Mohammed bin Duaij Al Khalifa, and Secretary-General, Ali Al-Majid, in the kingdom’s hosting of such a world sporting event.
Al-Bastaki indicated that 88 participants from five countries, namely South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Iran and Australia, will take part in the tournament.
Goalball is a game for people with visual impairments, players try to score goals by quickly and precisely firing a 1.25kg ball across the court and defending shots from the opposing team using their entire bodies, throwing themselves to the floor in the right position.
Players wear eyeshades to ensure a level-playing field where athletes with complete blindness compete with and against those with less severe – but still acute – visual impairments. The ball contains several bells so that players can locate its position. In addition, the goalball court is marked with raised lines so that players can feel their location at any time.
