Goalball Tournament for the Visually Impaired was Held in Idlib

Idlib Paralympic Committee President Adnan Vekil, in his statement to the AA correspondent, said that the championship was organized in order to revitalize sports activities in Idlib, draw attention to the role of visually impaired people in society and contribute to their empowerment through sports.

Stating that goalball is a sport played internationally for the visually impaired, Vekil stated that the competitions are played between teams of 6 players each.

Explaining that the goalball field is 18 meters long and 9 meters wide and has the same dimensions as the volleyball field, Vekil noted that the matches consist of two halves and each half lasts 12 minutes.

Stating that the team that scored more goals at the end of the match won, Vekil said that sports is an important tool for the visually impaired to participate in society.

Ahmed Şaban, one of the visually impaired athletes participating in the tournament, said that they prepared by training for about 2 months.

Şaban stated that goalball contributes to the integration of visually impaired people with society and asked for the continuity of the sport to be ensured.

Stating that transportation and training area are important problems for them, Şaban noted that they expect support on these issues.

Şaban said, "Visually impaired people also like to play goalball. We want this sport to continue and we want support for transportation and places where we can train." he said.

Stating that the matches were very competitive, Şaban said, "Competition and excitement created great enthusiasm within us. Frankly, I did not think we would win. However, our last match was very, very competitive. It was a really great feeling to win this match." he said.