IBSA Blind Futsal Seminars a Success

The International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) and the Commission Sportive Cécifoot held successful development seminars last weekend on blind futsal in Paris, France.

The courses brought together 45 experienced and IBSA-accredited international coaches and referees to teach the participants and ensure they pick up a solid grounding in the coaching skills needed to produce a successful blind futsal team or officiate a blind futsal match. French national coach Toussaint Akpweh was on hand to conduct the coaching courses, while IBSA-accredited international referee Jean-Luc Lescouezec put the 11 referees present through their paces.

The seminars from 12-14 November also involved classroom sessions and hands-on practical sessions involving blind players from the Paris region. Spain, Portugal, Italy, Andorra and France were all represented at the event in the French capital, which was held as part of the UEFA-funded IBSA Futsal Development Project Europe.

Over 400 coaches and referees from 38 countries have now taken part in nine project seminars as part of the project from IBSA.

Dates, venues and participation:

March 2006: Thessaloniki, Greece - 55 participants from 5 countries

November 2007: Oslo, Norway - 43 participants from 4 countries

April 2008: Hereford, England - 39 participants from 4 countries

July 2008: Berlin, Germany - 34 participants from 4 countries

October 2008: Moscow, Russia - 72 participants from 5 countries

December 2008: Antalya, Turkey - 37 participants from 3 countries

March 2009: Zagreb, Croatia - 52 participants from 4 countries

March 2010: Budapest, Hungary - 46 participants from 6 countries

November 2010: Paris, France – 45 participants from 5 countries