With less than one month to go until the 2018 IBSA Goalball World Championships in Malmo, Sweden, excitement is building.

All eyes will be on the hosts of the next Paralympic Games, Japan, as they build towards their career defining competition.

Find out some key facts about their men’s and women’s teams before Malmo 2018 begins on 3 June.

• The Japanese men’s and women’s teams both made their World Championships debut in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, in 2002. The women finished ninth and the men 14th.
• Just two years after their Worlds debut, Japan took bronze in the women’s at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. They also secured gold at London 2012 with a shock 1-0 victory over then world champions China.
• Despite this success, Japan have never won a World Championships medal in either the men’s or women’s competition but they have come close.
• Since being announced the host of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, the country have stepped up their efforts and made serious improvements. This started to pay off when at the 2014 World Championships, the women reached their best ever finish. Japan just lost out to Turkey 3-0 in the bronze medal game to claim fourth.

The 2018 IBSA Goalball World Championships run from 3-8 June. Featuring 28 of the world’s best teams, men and women will play in four groups.

The Japanese men will play in group B and the women group C.

Media accreditation, the full competition schedule, tickets and more information about Malmo 2018, is available here.