2007 International Goalball Tournament completed a well-content
run in Beijing on Sunday as the hosts China stunned the field to
win their first international final.
The four-day tournament, which is this year's only test event
for the Paralympics, won high marks, even surprise from the
International Paralympic Committees (IPC).
Jim Leask, technical official of the goalball committee of the
IPC, repeated it that Beijing is well-prepared and the event is the
best goalball competition they ever had.
The IPC official turned his thumb up especially on the venue
Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium.
"This is the best we've ever had. It is convenient, compact but
not crowded," he said.
The 21,900 square meters stadium has one main court and two
warm-up courts with a spectator capacity of 5,000. Located in
northwest Beijing, the stadium was rebuilt to add non-barrier
facilities to host the Paralympics goalball event as well as the
Olympic volleyball competition.
"There is not only tactile. They have gone with the trouble that
when there is a door there is a different pattern. When there is
crosspath there is a different pattern," Leask said.
"It is the right type of tactile for the blind and all of the
corners they put in huge efforts in making sure that the facility
accessible for the blind," he said.
Besides Beijing's effort to build up such a great Paralympics
venue, it also astonished the visitors that the underdog China
could beat the world powerhouses one by one eventually to win the
final.
The hosts, who had claimed series of upsets by beating the world
champion Lithuania and traditionally strong side Canada, outplayed
the strong Sweden 8-3 to claim their first-ever gold medal.
After a close 3-3 draw of first half, the host side opened their
fire to make it 8-3 thanks to the great scorer Chen Liangliang who
contributes almost all the goals of the second half.
"We are so excited that we won it!" said China's team manager
Zhang Yong.
"But we have to remind ourselves that it's just a test event and
several strong rivals did not come here. We will strive to step on
the podium at the Paralympics," added Zhang.
World top-ranked Lithuania beat the United States 5-2 to win the
third place.
Goalball, invented in 1946 by Austrian Hanz Lorenzen, was
introduced to the world in 1976 at the Paralympics in Toronto,
Canada and has been played at every Paralympic since.
(Xinhua News Agency September 17,2007)