Representatives from International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Goalball have hailed recent coaching and athlete workshops held in Cape Coast, Ghana, as a “success”.
 
From 12-16 December, IBSA Goalball’s Sport Director Alexey Baryaev and Secretary John Potts helped train 65 players, coaches and officials from three countries.
 
Hosts Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa participated in theoretical and practical sessions that focused on the sport rules, essentials of team preparation and coaching, officiating techniques and procedures. Those present received new balls, eyeshades and all game documentation to help them continue to develop local programmes in West Africa.
 
After the workshop sessions, participants got to apply their new skills in men’s and women’s tournaments featuring six teams. 
 
Ghana won the men’s tournament and a team from Venda University in South Africa claimed the women’s gold.
 
After the end of the competition Baryaev and Potts visited some key sports institutions including the Ghana Blind Sports Association and Blind Union, National Sports Authority and Ministry of Culture and Sports for discussions about the future of goalball in the region.
 
The latest workshops follow on from those held in South Africa, Uganda, Ivory Coast and Algeria in previous years.