DOHA: First ever ‘A Ball for All’ — a project to promote access to football for blind and visually impaired people launched on Monday to mark National Sport Day.
The launch event took place at Aspire Zone. Being run in collaboration with the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), Sasol, under its Definitely Able initiative, Qatar Social & Cultural Centre for the Blind (QSCCB) and Aspire Zone, the event featured the French Ambassador to Qatar, Eric Chevallier, Qatar Sport Club and former Inter Milan player Luis Jimenez and legendary international coach Bora Milutinović.
Involving more than 150 children from Al Noor Institute for Blind, Al-Yarmouk Preparatory School, Khalifa Secondary School, Al Koan International School, Olive Indian School and Al Maha School, the event showcased the power blind football has to empower young people and encourage inclusivity and integration within society.
Talking to The Peninsula, Massimiliano Montanari, Executive Director at Save the Dream said: “I am overjoyed to see the outcome of this project. This is a part of the project to train the coaches to be well-trained to give classes to visually impaired children to learn how to play football. The families in Qatar were highly cooperative, we have designed a special type of ball for children which will help them make football a part of their hobbies.”
“This initiative is for all including people with this disability and people without this disability as well. People who want to experience ‘Blind Football’ blindfold themselves and play on the same level of those who cannot see,” he added.
Organised as part of Save the Dream’s overall mission to use sport as tool for social inclusion and youth empowerment, the event marked the start of a capacity-building project, which will provide advanced training for coaches in Qatar to encourage young people to practice blind football.
A tool-kit will be distributed to all blind and visually impaired children in the country and their respective families and innovative balls (with a bell inside) —smaller and lighter than those currently used in blind football — will be introduced to facilitate the practice of this sport.
The project was designed, on behalf of Save the Dream, by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Blind Football Referees Coordinator Elias Mastoras.
Speaking at the event, Mohammed Hanzab, Founder of Save the Dream and ICSS Chairman, said: “We believe that sport is a unique and powerful instrument to promote social inclusion and empower youth. It has a high positive impact on children and youth especially those with special needs as it shows exclusivity and encourages them to realise their potential.”
Yousuf Mohamed Al Jaida, QFC Authority Chief Executive Officer, said: “At the QFC, we believe in inclusion and equal opportunity for all members of society. It is my honour to be part of this one of a kind occasion that marks Qatar’s first full-fledged blind football game. As we celebrate Qatar National Sport Day 2018, we continue to pursue opportunities that contribute to the human development pillar, which is a vital component of Qatar’s National Vision 2030.
Nasser Abdullah Al Hajri, Director of PR and Communications at AZF added: “At Aspire Zone, we believe that everyone should have access to the power of sports, and to our world-class facilities. This is in line with our mission to promote an active and healthy lifestyle among community members of all ages and physical capabilities, and to elevate sports performance in Qatar. As such, we’re proud to collaborate with Al Noor Institute for the Visually Impaired and other local institutions and host the ‘Football for All’ event on our pitches. We look forward to extending this partnership in the future.”
Ambassador of the French Republic to Qatar, Eric Chevallier, expressed his pleasure in taking part in the ‘A Ball for All’ initiative launched by “Save the Dream” today as part of Qatar Sports Day celebrations, reiterating his commitment to participate in the activities held to mark this national occasion.
He said Qatar Sports Day is a pioneering initiative, which embodies the keenness of the wise leadership to promote the concept of sport for all. He called on participants to show determination and optimism to practice their favourite game and achieve their dreams.
