The International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Goalball has postponed the 2021 European Championships Group B due to take place in Lahti, Finland, from 28-31 January.

The decision was made in consultation with the Local Organising Committee following feedback from teams.

Alexey Baryaev, the Technical Delegate for the event, said: “We have been contacted by some countries who say they are experiencing travel restrictions that are in place through January 2021 or they anticipate travel restrictions that would mean they are unable to compete. A couple of countries are also not comfortable with traveling at a time when the pandemic is worsening in Europe.

“In addition, whilst the organisers and IBSA Goalball have made every effort to ensure the competition could go ahead – including the introduction of a quarantine period on arrival and mandatory testing – teams have expressed concerns about the impacts should any of them receive a positive test.

“We are working to find new dates for this important competition and are still looking-forward to staging the competition in Finland when we can.”

Pajulahti 2021 was due to feature men’s and women’s teams from across Europe playing for promotion to the A pool.

Other major Championships announced for 2021 remain unchanged, including the IBSA Goalball Americas Championships from 13-20 June in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the Asia-Pacific Championships in Asan, South Korea, in November. The group C Euros will also take place in Targu-Mures, Romania, from 14-21 November.