Five more teams qualify for goalball competition at Rio 2016 Paralympic Games
Lithuania, China and Sweden men’s teams and Israel and China women’s sides qualify through IBSA World Games
Silver medallists at London 2012, China was also the runner-up in the IBSA World Games
More than half of the goalball teams who will compete at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games have now been decided. With the conclusion of the 5th World Games of the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) this Sunday, five more teams have booked their places at the world’s biggest sporting event for people with a disability: Lithuania, China and Sweden are through in the men’s category; Israel and China in the women’s.
With the latest qualifications, 12 of the 20 teams who will vie for gold in goalball at the Paralympic Games are now confirmed: six in the men’s tournament and six the women’s. Among the men, Lithuania, China and Sweden join Finland and the United States, who guaranteed their spots via the World Championships. As host nation, Brazil, the current world champion, is guaranteed a place.
In the men’s final, Lithuania were crowned champions after a surprise 10-3 victory over the Chinese, who won gold at Beijing 2008. In the third-place play-off Sweden won bronze – and a ticket to the Paralympics – with a 2-0 victory over Turkey.
In the women’s event, China also landed the runner-up spot, losing 4-1 to Israel, who defended their IBSA’s World Games title. Both winners and losers had a reason to celebrate, however, as the two teams will travel to Rio, along with the United States, Russia and Turkey, for the 2016 Paralympic Games. Though ranked fifth in the world, Brazil will also compete as the host country.
Later this year, there will be four continental qualifiers – the prize for each one, both in the men’s and the women’s event, will be a place at Rio 2016. In total, 10 teams in each category will compete for the Paralympic Games goalball titles in Rio.
