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Lithuanian stars „Play in the dark“

Date: January 25, 2015

Category: Goalball

Famous Lithuanian sportsmen, leaders in the arts and politicians played goalball for the first time in their lifes in order to promote goalball. A public event „Playing in the Dark“ was organized by the Lithuanian Blind Sports Federation for the community of Kaunas, where the 2015 IBSA Goalball European Championships will take place on 5-12th of July.

Olympic champion Lithuanian discus thrower Virgilijus Alekna admited it was not easy to orient and play goalball on the court. „Strange feeling when you can‘t see anything. Unusual to trust only what you hear. It was not easy at all for me to play goalball, because i had to use my arms to find my position and orient, the space feels completely different with your eyes closed. That is why we have to support and be so proud of our blind sportsmen, who represent our country on the top level“, – said olympic champion V. Alekna.

„I lost my orientation completely and scored a goall into my own nets. We are not used to base our lives on listening and touching. I reccomend everybody to try this game – it made me so sensitive to understand better what it is like to be visually impared and train Paralympic sport in such a high level“, – emotional reaction came from a legendary Kaunas „Zalgiris“ basketball player Anatolijus Ciupkovas, who played goalball with another legendary basketball players Vitoldas Masalskis, Virginijus Jankauskas and Gediminas Budnikas.

„It‘s like trying to catch a black cat in a completely dark room. It‘s like a night game. We are used to play football or basketball but in goalball you have to sence and hear the ball, sence your collegues and oponents standing in 18 meters distance“, – said famous Lithuanian singer Liudas Mikalauskas.

„Playing in the Dark“ was the first public event to introduce the 2015 IBSA Goalball European Championships. The IBSA European Goalball Championships will take place on 5-12 of July, 2015 in Kaunas, Lithuania. Participating mens‘ teams: Lithuania, Spain, Turkey, Germany, Czech Republic, Finland, Belgium, Slovenia, Sweden and Ukraine. Womens‘ teams: Russia, Turkey, Israel, Finland, Germany, Ukraine, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Greece.

President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite is a patron of the 2015 IBSA Goalball European Championships.

For more information please contact: Linas Balsys, President of the Lithuanian Blind Sports Federation, tel. +370 670 80735, [email protected]

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