Football

IBSA Blind Football Asia/Oceania Championship to kick off in Kochi

The tournament will commence on the 11th of November and go on till 18th November, 2022.

L-R: MC Roy (Project Director, Indian Blind Football Federation), Sunil Mathew (Sporting Director, Indian Blind Football Federation), Elias Mastoras (Chairman, IBSA World Blind Football), Gursharan Singh (Secretary General, Paralympic Committee of India)

The Bridge Desk

Published: 10 Nov 2022 10:15 AM GMT

The Indian Blind Football Federation (IBFF) hosted a press conference to kick off India's biggest parafootball event - the 2022 IBSA Blind Football Asia/Oceania Championship. The Indian Blind Football Federation is hosting this tournament in Kochi, India.

The tournament is a qualifier for the World Championship 2023 at Birmingham and the Paris Paralympics 2024.

10 men's teams and for the first time, 2 women's teams (including the Indian women's blind football team) will participate in the tournament. Mr. Elias Mastoras, Chairman, IBSA World Blind Football, called this inclusion of the Indian women's team "a historic moment" for Indian para football.

Teams from India (men's and women's team), Australia, China, Japan (men's and women's team), South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Iran will participate.

Mr. Gursharan Singh, Secretary General of the Paralympic Committee of India assured that, "All required support would be given to Indian Blind Football to ensure that India is represented at the international level and brings home laurels." The Press Conference was held at the Cinnamon Banquet Hall, Ground Floor, Four Points Sheraton, Kakkanad, Kochi.

Prominent Attendees at the Press Conference were Mr Elias Mastoras, Chairman, IBSA World Blind Football; Gursharan Singh, Secretary General, Paralympic Committee India (PCI), as well as PCI top officials.

As Mr. Mastoras rightly said, "Blind football is an inclusive, collaborative sport, where blind football players and sighted goalkeepers work together as a team." It is IBFF's hope and continued effort that this inclusive tournament will help inspire athletes with visual impairments and disabilities, across India, to play blind football and believe in their potential.

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