Day three of the 2013 IBSA Goalball Asia/Pacific Championships was always going to be a day of elation for one woman’s team and heartbreak for another while the men’s round robin continued.
 
Men
The third day started with a men’s game between China and Australia. Australia took the early lead within 2 minutes, but China scored soon to make it 1-1. Australia had a chance to take the lead again when China threw a long ball. Australia’s penalty throw however was a third time throw and China scored 2-1. Australia equalized 2-2 at 7:41 in the first half. China scored twice more and the half time score was 4-2 to China. In the second half, a high ball for Australia and China scored making it 5-2. China scored two more times and the final score for the game was 7-2 to China.
 
The next men’s match was the match between the two mens teams who were both without a victory so far. Thailand started scoring within the first minute. At 4:25 Thailand was leading by 6 goals to 0. It must be mentioned that this is the first ever international tournament for Mongolia. Their first ever goal was seen at 03:38 (time remaining in the first half). The first half finished 10-1 for Thailand.
The second half was only played for 21 seconds when Mongolia made an own goal and the game was finished with an 11-1 victory to Thailand. 
 
The next mens match was a tough one between Japan and China. Japan took the lead after 2 and half minutes played. Thirty seconds later Japan extended their lead to 2-0. Following this Japan threw a high ball and China was able to score 1-2. This score remained the same until the pause.
China’s number 4, Chen Liangliang, scored at the beginning of the second half and once again at 6:01. Japan hit back at 2:58 remaining. Chin Liangliang scored again at 1:17 to put China up 4-3. Japan took a time-out with 51 seconds before the end of the game but it didn’t help. China took a time-out at 39 seconds left and a substitution just 8.6 seconds before the end of the game. No one was able to score and China took the three points 4-3.
 
The current IBSA Goalball World Championships bronze medallists started Very fast in their match against Australia. They scored twice in the first minute. Australia hit back a few seconds later to half the deficit. This just inspired the Iranians more because they scored twice more in the next few seconds; the clock was now at 8:57. Both teams had a penalty shot but no team was able to score, and the score remained at 4-1 to Iran. Before the end of the first half Iran was scoring 6 more times and the half time score was 10-2.
The Iranians scored two final times when the clock was showing 10:48 and 8:11, and that was the end of the game. Iran’s man of the match was Moshen (no 7) who scored nine goals. The other three were scored by Jafari Hassan (no 3).
 
Tomorrow is the final day for the round robin and three teams currently have 9 points. Exciting games to follow. Two teams will move closer to qualification for the 2014 IBSA Goalball World Championships.  
 
  Women
The first women’s match for the day was Australia taking on Paralympic champions Japan in a must win match for the Aussies. During the first half neither of the teams was able to score. Both teams made a substitution during the break. Australia scored at 7:12. Less than a minute later (6:26) Australia’s number three scored again and Australia was leading 2-0. Japan took two time outs and did a substitution but this didn’t help and Australia won by 2-0.
  
The second women’s match on day three was between China and Iran. China started scoring after 3 minutes on the clock. After this the two teams settled into the match and they spent the most of the remainder of the half throwing the ball between the teams without any further goals.  When there was just 23 seconds left and China scored their second goal, half time score 2-0.
At the beginning of the second half at 11:30 China scored again to make it 3-0. There were no further goals and China took the 3 points and leads the whole tournament without any losses, but three ties.
 
In the next women’s match, China continued on their good way to the top of the female competition by beating Australia 1-0. China’s number 1 Zhang Wei scored in the first half and stopped the clock at 3:49.
 
This result means that Australia is out of the finals. After two round robins there is only one semi-final between the second and third. China is waiting which one – Iran or Japan will be in the final. These two teams meet each other in the semi-final on day four. China is resting until the final day of competition. This also means that Iran has qualified for the 2014 IBSA Goalball World Championships as the Asia/Pacific champion because both China and Japan have already qualified.
 
The last game of the day was a rehearsal of the semi-final between Iran and Japan. The hero of the game was Japan’s Adachi Akiko (no 9) who scored twice in the first half of the game.
The same teams will meet tomorrow in the semi-final and the winner will meet host China in the final. We look forward to tomorrow’s play to see who it will be.
 
 
RESULTS
Men
China 7 Australia 2 
Mongolia 1 Thailand 11  
Japan 3 China 4 
Australia 2 Iran 12 
Women
Japan 0 Australia 2  
Iran 0 China 3 
China 1 Australia 0 
Iran 0 Japan 2