The Finnish city of Lahti will be hosting the biggest European Para Youth Games so far. The Sport Hall at the Pajulahti Olympic & Paralympic Training Center will be the world centre of youth Paralympic games between today (June 27th) and July 4th.

According to the first entries, there are already 711 participants from 22 European countries. A total of 459 of those participants are athletes.

Regarding IBSA sports, Goalball, Showdown and Judo will be on the menu and will be in action between July 1st and July 3rd. All sports will be live streamed on the IBSA YouTube account, and the links will be provided daily on the IBSA website and on social media.

GOALBALL
Goalball will be having the U19’s European Championships, for athletes with visual impairment with a maximum age of 19 – born in 2003 or later – with 40 athletes (men and women) from six countries: Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Israel, Spain, and Turkey.

This is the schedule for the entire competition (CET +1):

Friday, July 1st
8.30am Women: Turkey-Israel
9.50am Men: Spain-Great Britain
11.10am Men: Israel-Finland
12.30pm Women: Israel-Great Britain
1.50pm Men: Denmark-Spain
3.10pm Men: Great Britain-Israel
4.30pm Women: Great Britain-Turkey
5.50pm Men: Finland-Denmark
7.10pm Men: Spain-Israel

Saturday, July 2nd
8.30am Women: Israel-Turkey
9.50am Men: Denmark-Great Britain
11.10am Men: Finland-Spain
12.30am Women: Great Britain-Israel
1.50pm Men: Israel-Denmark
3.10pm Men: Great Britain-Finland
4.30pm Women: Turkey-Great Britain
6.00pm Men: Quarter Final: 4th–5th

Sunday, July 3rd
8.00am Men: Semi-final, Round Robin 2^nd-3rd
9.30am Men: Semi-final, Round Robin 1^st-Winner QF
11.00am Women: Semi-final, Round Robin 2^nd-Round Robin 3^rd
12.30pm Men: Bronze medal match
2.00pm Men: Gold medal match
3.30pm Women: Gold medal match

SHOWDOWN
Showdown will be a demonstration sport for athletes with visual impairment aged 13-23 (born between 1/1/1999 and 31/12/2009). The competition will be taking place in the second floor class rooms at the main building of the Pajulahti Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. It will gather 14 athletes from six countries: Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Portugal, and Slovakia.

The schedule is the following (CET +1):

Friday, July 1st
9.00am Room 1: Men, Paavo Tulisalo (FIN)-Väinö Rihti (FIN)
9.00am Room 2: Men, Simon Rejtar (CZE)-Juulia Tulisalo (FIN)
9.30am Room 1: Men, Vaclav Krychtalek (CZE)-Filippo Calchetti (ITA)
9.30am Room 2: Men, Timotej Tarkos (SLO)-Jyri Grönlund (FIN)
10.00am Room 1: Women, Tiia Innos (EST)-Gabriella Bruno (ITA)
10.00am Room 2: Women, Rosa Riccardi (ITA)-Tatiana Blattnerova (SLO)
10.30am Room 1: Women, Leanor Silva (POR)-Marketa Trncakova (CZE)
10.30am Room 2: Men, Paavo Tulisalo (FIN)-Jyri Grönlund (FIN)
11.00am Room 1: Men, Vaclav Krychtalek (CZE)-Juulia Tulisalo (FIN)
11.00am Room 2: Men, Timotej Tarkos (SLO)-Simon Rejtar (CZE)
11.30am Room 1: Men, Väinö Rihti (FIN)-Filippo Calchetti (ITA)
11.30am Room 2: Women, Rosa Riccardi (ITA)-Tiia Innos (EST)
12.00pm Room 1: Women, Leonor Silva (POR)-Gabriella Bruno (ITA)
12.00pm Room 2: Women, Marketa Trncakova (CZE)-Tatiana Blattnerova (SLO)
1.30pm Room 1: Men, Paavo Tulisalo (FIN)-Timotej Tarkos (SLO)
1.30pm Room 2: Men, Väinö Rihti (FIN)-Juulia Tulisalo (FIN)
2.00pm Room 1: Men, Simon Rejtar (CZE)-Vaclav Krychtalek (CZE)
2.00pm Room 2: Men, Filippo Calchetti (ITA)-Jyri Grönlund (FIN)
2.30pm Room 1: Women, Tiia Innos (EST)-Leonor Silva (POR)
2.30pm Room 2: Women, Marketa Trncakova (CZE)-Rosa Riccardi (ITA)
3.00pm Room 1: Women, Tatiana Blattnerova (SLO)-Gabriella Bruno (ITA)
3.00pm Room 2: Men, Paavo Tulisalo (FIN)-Simon Rejtar (CZE)
3.30pm Room 1: Men, Väinö Rihti (FIN)-Vaclav Krychtalek (CZE)
3.30pm Room 2: Men, Filippo Calchetti (ITA)-Timotej Tarkos (SLO)
4.00pm Room 1: Men, Jyri Grönlund (FIN)-Juulia Tulisalo (FIN)

Saturday 2nd of July
9.00am Room 1: Men, Simon Rejtar (CZE)-Väinö Rihti (FIN)
9.00am Room 2: Men, Filippo Calchetti (ITA)-Paavo Tulisalo (FIN)
9.30am Room 1: Men, Jyri Grönlund (FIN)-Vaclav Krychtalek (CZE)
9.30am Room 2: Men, Juulia Tulisalo (FIN)-Timotej Tarkos (SLO)
10.00am Room 1: Women, Marketa Trncakova (CZE)-Tiia Innos (EST)
10.00am Room 2: Women, Tatiana Blattnerova (SLO)-Leonor Silva (POR)
10.30am Room 1: Women, Gabriella Bruno (ITA)-Rosa Riccardi (ITA)
10.30am Room 2: Men, Vaclav Krychtalek (CZE)-Paavo Tulisalo (FIN)
11.00am Room 1: Men, Simon Rejtar (CZE)-Jyri Grönlund (FIN)
11.00am Room 2: Men, Juulia Tulisalo (FIN)-Filippo Calcheti (FIN)
11.30am Room 1: Men, Timotej Tarkos (SLO)-Väinö Rihti (FIN)
11.30am Room 2: Women, Tiia Innos (EST)-Tatiana Blattnerova (SLO)
12.00pm Room 1: Women, Gabriella Bruno (ITA)-Marketa Trncakova (CZE)
12.00pm Room 2: Women, Rosa Riccardi (ITA)-Leonor Silva (POR)
1.30pm Room 1: Men, Juulia Tulisalo (FIN)-Paavo Tulisalo (FIN)
1.30pm Room 2: Men, Filippo Calchetti (ITA)-Simon Rejtar (CZE)
2.00pm Room 1: Men, Jyri Grönlund (FIN)-Väinö Rihti (FIN)
2.00pm Room 2: Men, Timotej Tarkos (SLO)-Vaclav Krychtalek (CZE)
3.00pm Room 1: Men, Placement match 5–8: Round Robin 5th–8th
3.00pm Room 2: Men, Placement match 5–8: Round Robin 6th–7th
4.00pm Team Competition: Finland–Italy
4.30pm Team Competition: Italy–Czech Republic
5.00pm Team Competition: Czech Republic–Finland

Sunday 3rd of July
9.00am Room 1: Women, Semi-final A: Round Robin 1st–4^th
9.00am Room 2: Women, Semi-final B: Round Robin 2nd–3rd
9.45am Room 1: Men, Semi-final A: Round Robin 1st–4th
9.45am Room 2: Men, Semi-final B: Round Robin 2nd–3rd
10.30am Room 1: Men, Placement match, places 5–6
10.30am Room 2: Men, Placement match, places 7–8
11.00am Room 1: Women, Placement match, places 5–6
11.00am Room 2: Women, Bronze medal match
11.45am Room 2: Men, Bronze medal match
12.30pm Room 2: Women, Gold medal match
1.15pm Room 2: Men, Gold medal match

JUDO
The Judo competition will be divided into two age groups: U18, for athletes born between 2005 and 2007, and U21, for athletes born between 2002 and 2004. It will take place in Nikula Hall at the Pajulahti Olympic & Paralympic Training Centre. There will be 26 participants from seven countries: Croatia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.

The schedule is the following (CET +1):

Friday, July 1st
Competition starting at 12.00pm (draw will be known shortly)

Saturday 2nd of July
Training Camp – practice 10am-12pm; 4pm-6pm

Sunday 3rd of July
Training Camp – practice 10am-12pm

Photo credit: Jussi Eskola