Portable goals support goalball growth in Hong Kong

The Paralympic sport of goalball is on the rise in Hong Kong, spurred on by a passionate group of organisers and innovative portable goalball goals that allow coaches and organisers to run matches and ‘have a go’ sessions anywhere.

The new goals, provided by Packaworld, helped give more than a thousand people a taste of the sport at Hong Kong Paralympic Day in December. The event, held at the Hong Kong Sports Institute, was a chance to increase awareness of Paralympic sports as the city prepares to co-host China’s 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities at the end of this year.

China Hong Kong Goalball Association CEO Louis Hou said working in partnership with China Hong Kong Paralympic Committee to let people sample the sport with the Goalball Packagoals was a great success.

“We brought the thrilling world of goalball to over 1,000 participants. The enthusiasm was contagious, especially seeing our visually-impaired friends discovering their potential as future goalball athletes!”

Hou said the newly set up China Hong Kong Goalball Association has been working with the China Hong Kong Paralympic Committee as well as other Hong Kong organisations promoting visually-impaired sports and local schools to gather support and resources. With their help and the new inflatable Packagoals, it aims to grow interest in goalball and develop the scene in Hong Kong.

The inflatable goals made running those classes easier and were particularly well suited to Hong Kong because they could be deflated after a match and easily stored away – a big plus for schools and leisure facilities with limited storage space for equipment.

“The inclusive spirit of Paralympic sports continues to inspire and unite our community.”

Hou said he was looking forward to nurturing more talent in Hong Kong's Paralympic scene as the association recruits more players through trials and introductory classes.

With the International Blind Sports Federation ranking China second in men’s goalball and third in women’s goalball globally, there is a lot of inspiration to draw on, he said.

“The Chinese team is very strong. We are working to see how a Hong Kong team can be set up and ride on China’s expertise to develop.”

Packaworld Chief Executive Peter Roberts said he welcomed the goals' role supporting goalball's development in Hong Kong.

“It's inspiring to see our Packagoals helping to introduce goalball to so many new players in Hong Kong. The portability and ease of setup of our goals makes them perfect for events like this, allowing organisers to transform any space into a goalball venue.

“We're excited to be supporting the growth of goalball in Hong Kong as they prepare for the National Games for Persons with Disabilities. Our goals are designed to make the sport more accessible, and events like this show exactly how that vision comes to life.”

The People’s Republic of China’s 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities is the nation’s top multi-sport event for persons with disabilities and will feature 20 sports, including goalball, running from eight to 15 December 2025. It will be hosted across three different provinces – Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macao.

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