International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Goalball has announced the 32 men’s and women’s teams who will be invited to compete at the 2019 IBSA Goalball and Judo International Qualifier from 29 June – 9 July in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA, following the closure of the application process.
 
The competition is a crucial chance for teams to secure their ticket to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Sixteen slots have been given to each gender.
 
Countries were asked to submit their applications to compete to the IBSA Goalball committee. An overwhelming response was received, with the process oversubscribed. A total of 26 men’s and 21 women’s teams registered.
 
The committee then made their selection based on several factors. These included team performances at the 2018 World Championships in Malmo, Sweden, and the ranking of teams within their regional Championships before Malmo 2018.
 
Teams will now be asked to confirm their participation and start the formal entry process. They will be contacted by the Local Organising Committee.
 
If a team decides not to take their spot, it will be reallocated in the following ways:
 

• To the best ranked team from within the same region in the waiting list
• If a region is not able to occupy their full allocation, those spots will be given to other teams depending on when their application to compete was received.

Team selections can be found in the document at the top of this page.
        
Questions can be sent to IBSA Goalball Sports Director Alexey Baryaev:  [email protected].
 
The 2019 IBSA Goalball and Judo Qualifier will take place at the Turnstone Center in Fort Wayne. It is expected to be one of the biggest competitions of the year and will also feature the IBSA General Assembly.