The International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) has been representing and developing athletes and sports for people with visual impairments for 40 years.
As a founding member of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), IBSA plays a crucial role in growing both Paralympic sports and Para sport more widely. It has become the world’s leading organisation for the development of sport for people with visual impairments.
Powerlifting, judo, goalball, football, chess, tenpin bowling, shooting and showdown, as well as cricket, archery and tennis, formed the programme which began on August 18 and closed yesterday (Sunday, August 27).
The men’s and women’s IBSA Blind Football World Championships and the partially sighted World Championships also took place as part of the event at the University of Birmingham campus in Edgbaston, Coventry Arena and other locations around the city.
The championship is held every four years and is the pinnacle of IBSA’s international calendar outside the Paralympic Games. With three Paralympic and eight non-Paralympic sports, for some athletes it is the highest level they can compete at. The last IBSA World Games were held in Seoul, South Korea, in 2015. A smaller version was held for judo and goalball – acting as qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 – in Fort Wayne, USA, in 2019.
Closing the the Games IBSA’s president’s, Ilgar Rahimov, said: “A week ago I challenged our IBSA athletes to excite and inspire the world. And they most certainly did that. I saw excellence every day and on every field of play in all our sports.
“To the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands thank you for your enthusiasm and support these past days and in particular the volunteers, the wonderful volunteers without whom no event is possible!
“I want to extend special thanks to the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City Council and the lead sponsor the Royal National Institute for Blind together with the International Blind Football Federation and Sky Consulting. A very big thank you!” Here are nine highlights from the IBSA World Games 2023 in Birmingham:
1. IBSA World Games 2023 in Birmingham
The Ukrainian partially sighted football national team won the final of the competition in the 2023 IBSA World Games against England (4-3), in a dramatic last few seconds for the host team in extra time.
2. IBSA World Games 2023 in Birmingham
Bowling athlete Shlomo Lezmy, who lives in the city of Holon, near Tel-Aviv, Israel, got totally blind in the army when he was 30 years old. Here he is at the Hollywood Bowl at the Broadway Plaza in Birmingham. Tenpin Bowling is one of the seven IBSA sports that are competing.
3. IBSA World Games 2023 in Birmingham
Japanese goalkeeper is completely flying to defend a shot from Colombia but the ball is definitely going to go inside the goal although it is not in yet. Great shot by Richard Hall/IBSA
4. IBSA World Games 2023 in Birmingham
South Korean Showdown national team in a training session next to the lake of the University of Birmingham, with the Chamberlain Tower rising from the trees in the horizon