Portable gear growing disabled sport in the Netherlands

An organisation championing disabled sport in the Netherlands is expanding the number of bocce and goalball clinics it offers with the help of portable courts and goals from Packaworld International.

Gehandicaptensport Nederland is a national sports federation that runs competitions and introductory clinics for disabled people who want to play goalball, bocce, para ice hockey, wheelchair hockey, boccia, 5-a-side football and showdown. Bocce and goalball sessions have historically been challenging to run because traditional courts and goals are difficult to transport.

Gehandicaptensport Nederland sports coordinator Joris van Impelen said the portability of the inflatable Packabocce courts and Goalball Packagoals was allowing volunteers to expand the number of clinics being run at schools and sports clubs across the Netherlands.

“We are running more clinics now because we can take the Packabocce courts and goalball goals to more places. We were hesitant about running clinics for both of those sports before because set up was so difficult.”

Last year Gehandicaptensport Nederland ran more than 30 bocce clinics across the Netherlands, introducing the sport to more than 300 people with disabilities. With the help of the new bocce courts, they expect to increase that number even further, Mr Impelen said.

Similar results were expected for goalball due to the portability and ease of set up and storage of the new Goalball Packagoals.

Packaworld chief executive Peter Roberts said the way the new bocce courts and goalball goals were being used in the Netherlands was a “perfect illustration” of the difference portable sports gear could make.

“The ability to bring the game with you can be the difference between someone experiencing the joy of sport, or not having the opportunity to play at all. It’s fantastic to see our courts and goals being used to bring sport to people with disabilities in the Netherlands.”

Packabocce courts are growing in popularity around the world. They are used in a range of settings, including restaurants, lifestyle villages, cruise ships, luxury resorts, and social leagues run in bars and pubs. They are also widely used by Special Olympics clubs and organisations, including for many national, regional and international competitions.

Packaworld’s Goalball Packagoals were developed in consultation with Blind Sport New Zealand. They are increasingly used by organisations around the world to run local competitions and introductory goalball sessions designed to grow participation in the Paralympic sport.

What is bocce?

Bocce is an ideal sport for people of all ages and abilities because it relies on skill rather than athleticism. Originating in Italy during the time of the Roman Empire, it shares a common heritage with bowls and petanque. However, it is played in a court with walls, allowing for different strategies such as rebound plays.

What is goalball?

Goalball is a Paralympic sport developed with blind and visually impaired athletes in mind. Teams of three players try to roll a 1.25kg ball with bells inside across an indoor court and into a nine-metre-wide goal. Opposing players try to block the ball from entering their net by diving. Blind and sighted players all wear blackout visors to create an equal playing field, relying on sound to identify where the ball is.

For more information about our portable bocce courts and goalball goals visit the Goalball Packagoals and Packabocce courts pages of our website>>