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Goalball Asia-Pacific and World Championships postponed
Date: March 9, 2022
Category: Goalball
The organisers of the 2022 International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Goalball Asia-Pacific Championships and the 2022 IBSA Goalball World Championships have announced the cancellation of the competitions due to travel restrictions.
The Asia-Pacific Championships were scheduled for Asan, South Korea, 21-31 March. The Worlds were set for Hangzhou, China, in June.
The Korean Blind Sports Association made the decision for Asan 2022 in light of a mandatory seven-day quarantine for all foreign nationals entering the country, regardless of vaccination status, which would make attending the competition difficult for both for teams, international referees and classifiers.
The Chinese Sports Association for the Disabled cancelled the World Championships for similar reasons. International travel to China is currently very difficult with few direct flights operating.
IBSA Goalball is now looking for another host for the next edition of both Championships.
IBSA Goalball Sport Director, Alexey Baryaev, said: “We appreciate the difficulties faced by the Local Organising Committees to host a viable event when strict travel restrictions are in place, as well as the additional burden entry requirements would put on teams and international officials.
“Whilst the world is still grappling with the pandemic, we have to be prepared for these situations and be responsive. We are now working hard to find alternative hosts so that we can keep the calendar intact for 2022. Some countries have already come forward to state their interest and we are working with them. Any other host nations who would like to stage either Championships should contact us before the end of March.”
The Asia-Pacific Championships are the last of three regional Championships to take place as qualifiers for the 2022 World Championships. The preferred times for the Asia-Pacific Championships to take place is June-July 2022 and for the World Championships, October-December 2022.
European, Americas and African Championships have already been held in Turkey, Brazil and Ghana, respectively.
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