Goalball
1 week down and 2 and a bit to go
until the second cohort arrive. Due to the no travel policy I have spent most
of this week relaxing by watching sopranos, reading and listening to podcasts.
During the week, 2 team leaders arrived from the UK who are starting a new 8-week
project here called REACT. The teams are split between here and Sandema in the upper
east and are a mixture of visually impaired (various levels) and fully sighted
volunteers who will challenge how people “react” to disabilities such as blindness.
I have not had much interaction with the disabled communities whilst here in Tamale
as our project is focussed on female empowerment. However, what I have seen is
people in wheelchairs getting over uneven terrain by using a hand crank version
of a chair and having to beg for a living. The same applies to the blind who
are led round by placing their hands-on a child’s shoulder, possibly their own children
or grandchildren.
Now I don’t like the saying “don’t
judge a book by it’s cover” as they put the summaries on there so it’s actually
a good idea to use that to judge if you want to buy the book. However, with that
saying’s sentiment in mind, I visited the old stadium on Saturday to find big
groups of people playing sport across the various dusty pitches. I had come to
watch a regular practise session of wheelchair basketball and my first experience
of goalball.
The participants were welcoming
and clearly loved the sport they were there for. Their families watched and
supported and despite some of the wheelchairs missing the back wheels (a problem when
your weight shifts to the back), the ground being uneven and the sun scorching overhead,
it did not dampen anyone’s spirit and it was a pleasure to be a part of.
Goalball is a team sport specifically
designed for people with a vision impairment. Participants compete in teams of three
and try to throw a hollow ball that has bells inside it into the opponent’s goal.
All members are usually blindfolded for fairness and they must throw the ball
across an 18m pitch, past the three defenders who use the sound to guess the
position and defend it using their bodies to block its path. Then they take a
turn to throw (similar stance to bowling) the ball back, using ropes/touchable
markers to figure out their position. The participants are kneeling and have
elbow and knee pads to protect themselves.
Once the UK volunteers arrive they
are going to organise some competitions to bring people together to challenge
the stereotypes surrounding visually impaired people in Ghana particularly regarding
them being able to take part in sports. I loved watching the game and because
all players must wear a blindfold it levels the playing field, making it accessible
for everyone and a great way to develop understanding and empathy.
Incase you are interested in
getting involved with the sport or community here is a good place to start: www.goalballuk.com
Goalball - The Throw
Goallball - The Defence
Wheelchair basketball with mixed gender teams! <3
Tamale goalball team with project partners and the new Tamale UKV team leader (also children as it's impossible to take a picture without them lol)
Some rowdy spectators on the side lines.
Wooden, an occasional treat when I'm missing grass and non-instant coffee.
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