San Francisco Frontiers - Tamil Nadu goalball team’s national silver highlights need for wider support

The Goalball Association of Tamil Nadu, registered only a year ago, assembled players from small towns and families with limited financial resources. Several participants view competitive sport as a route to stable public employment. Presidency College student R. Barath, from Erode, learned of goalball three months before making the state team and called for awareness sessions at colleges with visually impaired students.

Madurai athlete Ahilendiran D, an orphan who supports his family through part-time work, previously competed in shot put and javelin. He hopes the result will lead to recognised competitions and sponsorship. The Rajasthan Youth Association Foundation supported the team for the national event.

Coach V. Maheswaran, who also teaches judo to blind athletes, learned goalball through online videos and help from his son. The team sought guidance from Telangana players during its Chennai selection camp. Equipment remains a barrier: regulation eye patches cost more than ₹3,000 each, so the team used black cloth at the tournament.

G.R. Bharathi Raja, founder of the Tamil Nadu Blind Football Association, said goalball develops strength, co-ordination and life skills. The association’s first awareness workshop attracted 45 students. Chairperson Vidyashankar B asked the state to provide cash awards for national and international winners and reserve district-stadium space for goalball, reducing travel, food and accommodation costs.

Goalball was created in 1946 to rehabilitate visually impaired Second World War veterans and became a Paralympic sport in 1976. Two three-player teams compete on an 18-by-9-metre indoor court. A bell inside the ball allows players to track it by sound, while opaque masks ensure equal conditions across different levels of vision.

M.Hill--SFF