To children We want to share the joy of goalball!

On June 18, the Japan Sports Association for Persons with Disabilities (JPSA) held a goalball experience session at two elementary schools in Adachi Ward, Tokyo. Goalball is one of the Paralympic sports .

As part of its ongoing "Japan Para Support Project: Disabled Athlete Exchange Caravan" to let children experience the appeal of disabled sports and promote barrier-free mindsets, this event marked the second installment. A similar experience session for local elementary school students was also held as part of the "2015 Japan Para Wheelchair Rugby Tournament" held in Chiba City in May (Related article: http://dentsu-ho.com/articles/2570 ). This time, the event was held at an elementary school in Adachi Ward because the "2015 Japan Para Goalball Tournament," an international exchange match involving four countries, will be held at the Adachi Ward General Sports Center from July 31 to August 2.

Goalball is a competitive sport for visually impaired athletes, played by teams of three.
Players use a ball containing bells, alternating between offensive throws and defensive play relying on the sound of the bells to compete for points. To ensure fairness, players wear eye shades (blindfolds) during play. It became an official Paralympic sport at the 1976 Toronto Games. The Japanese women's teamwon gold at the 2012 London Games, marking Japan's first-ever team gold medal in Paralympic history. The current world rankings are: women 2nd, men 17th.

Goalball Japanese national team members Eiko Ketsubata and Yuki Amama visitedKita-Kashihama Elementary School, where they enjoyed the sport with approximately 100 fifth and sixth grade students.
At the start, Principal Masaya Shimizu addressed the students: "Enjoy experiencing goalball and gain an understanding of sports for people with disabilities. It would be wonderful if this inspires you to actively participate in the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics."
During the athletes' demonstration, the children were amazed by their swift movements. Afterwards, under the guidance of Takashi Ikeda, Director of the Japan Goalball Association (JGBA), they practiced throwing and defense. During the mini-game experience, loud cheers erupted from the excitement. The match between the teacher team and the athletes sparked a spirited cheer battle.

The children shared their impressions, saying things like, "It was hard, but fun!" and "I want to go cheer at a disabled sports event!" The two athletes expressed their aspirations for the future, stating they want to win the international tournament in November to secure a spot at the Rio Paralympics.

On the same day, a similar event was held at Adachi Ward's Nishihokima Elementary School, where approximately 100 fifth and sixth graders enjoyed the experiences.

Japan Disabled Sports Association website: http://www.jsad.or.jp/index.html
Japan Goalball Association website: http://www.jgba.jp/index.html