First-ever Waikato goalball tournament succeeds with portable goals

Packaworld’s portable goalball goals were used to stage Parafed Waikato’s inaugural goalball tournament in Hamilton, New Zealand, from 23 to 24 November.

Eight mixed teams of men and women battled it out at St John’s College’s hall in a quest for goalball glory, with hometown heroes Waikato winning the Open Division and a team made up of players from multiple regions, dubbed ‘Mixed Spice’, winning the Elite Division.

Parafed Waikato Sports Development Officer Sport Cathy Wooller said goalball’s growing popularity meant there were enough competitors in Waikato this year to justify holding a first ever tournament locally.

“Goalball has definitely grown here and it was really exciting for our team to play at home," she said.

“With the help of Troy Ramsay from Goalball New Zealand, the Waikato team and myself we have been working really hard to make this event come to fruition.”

A New Zealand innovation, portable Goalball Packagoals, were used at the tournament to make set up simple for organisers and to ensure a high-quality playing experience for competitors.

The inflatable goals were purchased by Parafed Waikato six years ago to help grow the sport locally and to enable the Waikato Goalball Team to use them at its training sessions – initially in Raglan and now in Hamilton.

“They provide a really good playing experience. I can’t believe they fold down into small bags, they’re huge when they’re pumped up,” Wooller said.

Wooller said in addition to providing a stage for local goalball players to compete, another highlight of the Waikato goalball tournament was showcasing the sport to potential new players. Two fascinated spectators and two of the volunteers who helped run the event had caught the goalball bug and now wanted to start playing, she said.

Wooller said people were becoming more and more aware of goalball in New Zealand, with 35 players registered in the Waikato region, and tournaments were great ways to increase the sport’s exposure. 

“There are pretty good numbers and lots of keen players.”

After the success of the tournament there was a good chance it would become an annual event in the Waikato, she said.

Parafed Waikato provides opportunities for people with physical disabilities and visual impairments to play 17 different sports, including goalball.

Parafed Waikato provided the funding for the venue, enabling registration fees for the tournament to be kept low to reduce any financial barrier to entry. Additional support for the event was provided by Goalball New Zealand, Blind Sport New Zealand and The Rapid Relief Team NZ.

Wooller said it took a lot of volunteers to run a Goalball tournament, as each match required referees, officials and goal judges, so the support was vital.

“We were grateful for the help and support from the blind and low vision community and Parafed Waikato members, as well as organisations like Access Community Health, which provided plenty of volunteers.”

Packaworld Chief Executive Peter Roberts said it was fantastic to see its user-friendly goals support the steady growth of goalball in New Zealand.

“We were thrilled to hear about our Packagoals being used at the Waikato goalball tournament. Versatility and ease of transport are key design principles for us, so it’s rewarding to see how these goals can transform any space into a playing venue.”

ABOUT GOALBALL

Goalball was invented in 1949 as a sport for blinded war veterans and has been played at the Paralympics since the 1976 Paralympic Games in Toronto, Canada.

The game is played on an 18 metre by 9 metre court, with teams hurling a ball from one end to the other in hopes off netting a goal in the 1.3-metre-high goal that stretches the court’s entire width.

Goalball players use a 25cm-diameter ball with three bells inside and blackout goggles to stop players using any degree of sight. This restricts players to using hand-to-ear co-ordination to sense where the ball is as they try to throw or roll it into their opponent's goal or block it with their bodies to protect their own goal.

Taking sight out of the equation allows blind, visually-impaired and fully-sighted people to compete on an even playing field. Among the fully-sighted players enjoying the game in Waikato is Jared Newing, who joined the Waikato team in support of the blind and visually impaired community after his son Micah was born blind six months ago.

>> Want more info? Visit our Goalball Packagoals product page to learn about our portable goalball goals.