COVENTRY has been named as one of the host cities for the world’s largest sporting event for the blind and partially-sighted.
The 2023 IBSA World Games takes place in the UK for the first time between August 18 and 27, with Coventry Building Society Arena set to host men’s and women’s goalball in the venue’s Indoor Arena.
Goalball was created especially for blind and partially sighted athletes and is one of 10 sports at the World Games, which will see male and female goalball athletes competing for qualification for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, along with judo and men’s blind football.
Goalball players attempt to score goals by quickly and precisely firing a 1.25kg ball across the court and defending shots from the opposing team using their bodies.
Games are split into two 12-minute halves and are played on a court measuring 18m by 9m with two teams made up of three players each, and goals spanning the width of each nine-metre court end.
The majority of sports at the IBSA World Games, supported by lead sponsor RNIB, are being held across the University of Birmingham’s Edgbaston campus, as well as other nearby regional venues.
Around 1,250 blind and partially sighted athletes from 70 countries will compete sports including archery, chess, men’s and women’s cricket, power-lifting, ten pin bowling, tennis, and showdown.
The UK is hosting the seventh edition of the World Games – held every four years – following a successful joint bid between British Blind Sport, Birmingham City Council, Sport Birmingham, UK Sport, and the University of Birmingham.
British Blind Sport, the national disability sport organisation representing blind and partially sighted people in sport across Great Britain, is the host federation for the games.
Chief executive officer Alaina MacGregor said the event would not only highlight to the world the talents of blind and partially sighted athletes, but was also a golden opportunity to inspire other blind and partially-sighted people to have a go at a sport too, reinforcing the message that sport is accessible to everybody.
“Goalball, like all the other sports, has a key role to play in helping us to achieve this, and we are delighted to be expanding the presence of the World Games beyond Birmingham by bringing goalball to Coventry.”
Paul Michael, Coventry Building Society Arena commercial director, said it would be the first time the venue had hosted goalball and helped underline their credentials as one of the UK’s leading multi-purpose
sports venues after successfully hosting wrestling and judo at last year’s Commonwealth Games and the Billie Jean King Cup.
“We can’t wait to welcome all of the players and coaches this summer for a memorable summer of sport.”
