International Blind Sport Federation World Games kick off in Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is hosting the major international competition.
Another major sporting event officially kicks off in Birmingham today - the International Blind Sport Federation (IBSA) World Games.
The event is taking place at the University of Birmingham and neighbouring venues between August 18-27.
The IBSA World Games will see more than 1,150 athletes from 70 countries competing across ten sports.
The Games' opening ceremony is taking place at the Symphony Hall this evening (18 August), where the world’s only professional group of blind musicians, the Inner Vision Orchestra, will be performing.
The group will be led by founder Baluji Shrivastav OBE, who performed at the 2012 Paralympic Games closing ceremony alongside Coldplay’s Chris Martin.
Award-winning dance company Step Change Studios, which is supporting blind people of South Asian heritage through a dedicated programme called Dance Dosti, will present a Bollywood dance medley performed by their students.
Sallie Barker is the Chair at British Blind Sport, which is the host federation for this year’s IBSA World Games.
She said: “The opening ceremony has a significant role to play in not only setting an upbeat, energetic tone for the duration of the World Games, but to also underline the elite-level capabilities of blind and partially sighted people across society.
“To have a gathering of some of the world’s most talented blind and partially sighted musicians, dancers, and sportspeople all under one roof in Birmingham is going to be such an honour.
“It is these types of moments that can help to inspire the next generation of blind and partially sighted people to pursue their dreams and goals, and is a key legacy that we want the IBSA World Games to leave behind.”
The World Games is featuring 10 sports – three of which include men’s blind football, men’s and women’s goalball, and judo which are qualification tournaments for the 2024 Paralympic Games.
Other sports and categories featured include men’s partially sighted football, women’s blind football, archery, chess, cricket, powerlifting, ten pin bowling, tennis, and showdown.
Birmingham is hosting the seventh edition of the World Games following a successful joint bid between British Blind Sport, Birmingham City Council, Sport Birmingham, UK Sport, and the University of Birmingham.