The IBSA World Games (formerly IBSA World Championships and Games) or World Blind Games are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA). The events enable blind and partially sighted athletes to compete in a number of sports.[1] The first event took place at Madrid, Spain in 1998.[2]
The inaugural 1998 sports event was held in Madrid, Spain for athletics, swimming, goalball and judo for the blind and vision-impaired.
2003 IBSA World Games
The 2003 Quebec, Canada event included five-a-side football, goalball and judo, other disciplines have been added to the event. Blind athletes were able to compete in the following sports: powerlifting, ten-pin and nine-pin bowling, biathlon, alpine skiing, archery, showdown, swimming, shooting, torball, Nordic skiing, athletics and cycling. Although a lot of winter sports were added to the list such as skiing, but also bowling and many others, but was held in five sports: Swimming, athletics, goalball, judo, and powerlifting.[9]
2007 IBSA World Games
The 2007 São Paulo, Brazil sports were powerlifting, judo, goalball, football, swimming, and athletics.[10]
Venues were scattered around the city, including opening and closing ceremonies at the Jamsil Arena. About 1626 athletes competed from fifty-seven countries.[13] The event motto was 'See with Passion, Run with Hope'.[14] Mascots were Dari, Haechi and Suri.[15]
Nominations for the host nation for the 2019 IBSA World Games was called on 3 March 2017.[16][17] It was not possible to find a host nation able to cater for all the sports. Instead the IBSAGoalball and Judo Paralympic Games qualifying tournaments were held in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States of America in June–July 2019, in conjunction with the federation's four-yearly international general assembly.[18]
Twenty-eight archers from ten countries participated in the archery competition.[22] However, Great Britain took the majority of the medals, medaling in every single event. The VI1 final was between Belgian Reuben Vanhollebeke and Great Britain’s Clive Jones with Vanhollebeke taking the gold. The bronze went to Loredana Ruisi of Italy who beat Uganda's Tumisiime Gad Rauben. Four out of the 6 medals in the VI2/3 and VI Open finals went to British archers. Steve Prowse (GB) beat Nick Thomas (GB) to take the gold in the VI2/3 with the bronze going to Belgium's Kathleen Meurrens. In the VI Open, Terry Piper (GB) took gold with silver going to Andrea Thomas (GB). Great Britain's Debora Wright took bronze.[23][24]
Chess
Twenty players from seven countries participated in the chess tournament at the 2023 Games.[25] Medals were awarded for the best individual results in the tournament, the best individual results by women, and the best combined results of two-player teams from each country.[26] The individual gold medal was won by Dacian Pribeanu of Romania;[26][27] Axadxon Kimsanboyev of Uzbekistan took silver,[28] and Zoltán Zámbó of Hungary took bronze.[29] The women's individual gold medal was won by Hanna Vilics of Hungary.[29] The team gold medals went to Zoltán Zámbó and Hanna Vilics of Hungary;[29] Dacian Pribeanu and Ionel Morariu of Romania won the silver medals,[27] and Axadxon Kimsanboyev and Ilhom Gʻulomov of Uzbekistan took bronze.[28]
Cricket
The 2023 Games was the first to include cricket and featured both a men's and women's competition.[30] England, Australia and India all sent both men's and women's teams to the Games.[30][31][32] This tournament marks the debut of the Australian women's team at international level.[32] Despite having an active women's team, Pakistan only sent their men's team due to funding limitations.[33] Bangladesh made up the last of the men's teams competing in the 2023 Games.[34]
India women secured their place in the final, by comfortably winning their first 3 games. Pakistan qualified for the men's final by winning all 4 of their group games. India men made the semi-final by winning three of their 4 games, only losing to Pakistan.[35][36] Australia took the other place in the women's final with a higher net run rate than England.[37]
In the women's final, Australia batted first and set a score off 114/8 for 20 overs. Rain stopped play which left India with a revised target of 42 runs which they made in 21 balls. This made India undefeated at the Games, having won all 5 matches they played.[38] The men's tournament ended with Bangladesh taking bronze after losing to India in the semi-final. Bangladesh set India a target of 145 runs which they made in 17 overs which took them to the final. The men's final was won by Pakistan who made India's target of 185 in 14.1 overs, making that their 5th undefeated match at the games.[39]
Women's cricket league table (2023 IBSA World Games)
The women's blind football was won by Argentina who beat Japan 2-1 in the final. As well as being the first world championship for women's blind football, the final also had an entirely female referee team. The third place playoff between India and Sweden ended 0-0 but Sweden eventually won on penalties 1-0.[44]
In the men's blind football, Argentina also took the gold after a close game against China. It was 0-0 at full time and went to penalties, ending 2-1 to Argentia.[45] The bronze medal went to Brazil who beat Colombia 7-1.[46][47]
Goalball
Fourteen teams competed in the men's goalball competition and twelve in the women's.[48] These were then split into two groups who played each other in a round-robin format. The top four from each group then progressed to the knockout round.
Women's competition
Brazil, Canada, USA and Germany topped Group A to qualify for the knockouts and China, Japan, Israel and Great Britain topped group B.[49] Brazil, Canada, Japan and China all advanced to the semi-finals. Japan beat Brazil 4 to 3 to take one place in the final with the other going to China who beat Canada 6-1.[50] Brazil beat Canada 2 to 0 to take the bronze medal and Japan lost to China 3 to 0 to take the silver medal. China's gold medal means they have now qualified for the 2024 Paralympic Games.[48]
Group X was topped by Lithuania, Japan, South Korea and Finland. The top four positions in Group Y were taken by Ukraine, Iran, USA and Turkey.[49] The four teams to advance to the semi-finals were Lithuania, South Korea, Ukraine and Japan. The first place in the final was taken by South Korea who beat Lithuania 11 to 7 and the other place went to Japan after their 3-4 victory over Ukraine.[50] The bronze medal went to Ukraine after beating Lithuania 9 to 2 and the silver went to South Korea who lost to Japan 3 to 7. Japan's gold medal means they have now qualified for the 2024 Paralympic Games.[48]
A total of 18 gold medals were available at the 2023 game, with 236 athletes from 42 countries competing.[51] The World Games also serves as qualification for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.[21] Both team gold medals went to Kazakhstan and both silver team medals went to Uzbekistan.[52]
Judo at the 2023 IBSA World Games individual medals table
The 2023 Games saw world records broken in the squats. Egyption Ahmed Hemid squatted 213kg in the 75kg weight class and Ukrainian Andril Myronets squatted 223kg in the 82.5kg class to set new world records.[24]
Powerlifing at the 2023 IBSA World Games individual medals table
Polish bowlers dominated the individual categories at the 2023 games, winning the B1 and B2 women's finals and the B1 and B2 men's finals. Karolina Rzepa won the B1 women's final with a total score of 1,055 and Jadwiga Rogacka won the B2 final with a score of 1329. Zdzisław Koziej of Poland won the B1 men's finals with a total score of 1,090. Mieczysław Kontrymowicz won the B2 men's final with a score of 1,561. Both of the B3 finals were won by Korean bowlers, with Lee Kun Hye winning the women's final with a score of 1584 and Bae Jinhyung winning the men's final with a score off 1555. In the doubles, Poland continued to dominate, taking gold and silver in the mixed doubles and silver in both the ladies and mens doubles.[55]
Showdown
The showdown tournament at the 2023 Games consisted of men's, women's and team competitions. The men's final was won by Deniss Ovsjaņņikovs of Latvia who beat Poland's Krystian Kisiel 3 sets to 1. The bronze was taken by Adrian Sloninka of Poland after beating Belgium's Christoff Eilers 3 sets to 2.[56] The women's final saw Elzbieta Mielczarek of Poland play Finland's Hanna Vilmi with Mielczarek winning 3 sets to nil. The bronze medal match saw two Italians face off. Graziana Mauro won 3 sets to nil against Sonia Tranchina to secure the medal.[57] The team event continued Poland's domination who beat Italy in the final. Finland beat Latvia to take the bronze medal.[58]
Tennis
A total of 11 gold medals in tennis were available at the Games across genders and classifications. There were single competitions for men and women in B1, B2, B3 and B4/5, as well as B2/4 men's and women's doubles. Additionally, there was a B1 mixed doubles.[59]
Australian players dominated to the Games, taking 5 of the 11 available gold medals and another two bronze and silver medals. Among these was Arato Katsuda-Green, who took silver in the B2/4 men's doubles and bronze in the B4/5 men's singles and turned 12 over the course of the Games.[60][61]
British tennis players took 11 medals in total, including 2 golds.[62]
Spain, Madrid
Canada, Quebec
Brazil, São Paulo
Turkey, Antalya
South Korea, Seoul
United Kingdom, Birmingham
USA, Colorado Springs
HUN, Budaörs
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