International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Blind Football have announced plans to stage the first ever women’s World Championships in 2020, and have launched a call for hosts.
The ground-breaking development follows sustained efforts to develop the women's game and involvement in blind football over the past two years.
This work includes holding a development camp and tournament in Vienna, Austria, in May 2017, in which 60 girls and women took part. A second camp in Tokyo, Japan, took place in February 2019 and other targeted efforts have been made to prioritise the women's game in different regions of the world.
IBSA members are invited to bid to host the historic Championships which will feature between 8-10 teams. The competition will last around 10 days and should take place after the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in September.
Ulrich Pfisterer, Chairperson of the IBSA Blind Football Committee, said: "We are massively excited to take the next major step in developing women’s blind football, offering players the chance to take the game to a global stage.
"It reflects the growth of women’s football generally, especially after the recent success of the World Cup in Paris, and also the rising profile of blind football. We are proud to be part of this monumental shift in attitudes which is helping bring more and more new players to the sport.
"These World Championships will mark the start of another new era, we can be sure of that. I encourage organisers to apply to host to ensure their place in the history books."
The deadline for bids for the 2020 IBSA Blind Football Women’s World Championships is 16 August 2019.
More information, including bid documents, can be found at the IBSA website.
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