The 2025 European Goalball Champions League is coming to the UK for the first time.
Fen Tigers Goalball Club, based in March, won their bid to host the first qualifying tournaments from February 21-23 at Oundle School Sports Centre near Peterborough.
The club, established in 2016, is the first British team to participate in the prestigious Champions League and is now achieving another milestone by hosting it.
Goalball, designed for visually impaired individuals, kicked off in 1946, used as a rehabilitation method for blinded war veterans by Austrian Hanz Lorenzen and German Sepp Reindle.
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It debuted in the men’s Paralympic in 1976 and in the women’s event at the 1984 New York games.
In the UK, there are now more than 30 goalball clubs across all regions.
The endeavour to host this prominent Championship has attracted sponsorship from local enterprises including Neale-Wade Academy, Fraser Dawbarns Solicitors, Smurfit Westrock, Goalfix Sports and others.
Emma Evans MBE, the Fen Tigers coach said: “We are thrilled to be hosting not only in the UK but locally in 2025.
"The generous support of our valued sponsors is transforming our dream into a reality, allowing us to create a lasting legacy from the event that will boost goalball participation among blind and visually impaired individuals nationwide.”
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Mark Winder, CEO at Goalball UK said: “Goalball UK are delighted to be working with Fen Tigers to bring the European Club Goalball Champions League to the UK for the very first time.
"Fen Tigers, as one of our affiliated clubs, are helping to address this.”
Not only will this event give the sport much-needed attention, but the Fen Tigers team hopes to qualify for further stages.
The 2025 final will be held in Portugal in June 2025.
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