Madrid 2018: Schoolchildren part of Worlds legacy

The organisers of the 2018 International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Blind Football World Championships have partnered with the host venue, the Colegio Sagrado Corazon of Chamartin, with the aim of securing a legacy for the competition being held in Madrid, Spain, from 7-17 June.

The Colegio Sagrado Corazon is normally a school for hundreds of children but this summer it will stage all 44 matches of the World Championships.

The school has loaned its four sports grounds for training and competition as well as the other infrastructure required to deliver the biggest Worlds in the sport’s history with 16 teams.

With free entry to the public, the school’s students will get the chance to watch the games up close.

Carolina Gonzalo Irigoyen, Principal of the Colegio Sagrado Corazon, said: “It will be a big honour for the Sagrado Corazon to host the World Cup. We will have to modify some routines but we believe it will be very positive for our students.

“We have been promoting integration for the last 31 years and to host this World Championships is a perfect way to show all the potential people with impairments have.”

President of the Spanish Federation of Blind Sports, Angel Luis Gomez Blazquez, thanked the Colegio Sagrado Corazon for their “big involvement from the beginning, by both the management and the teacher, and also the students.”

Spain will play the opening match against Thailand in group A on 7 June before the other groups games start on 8 June. Morocco and Turkey are also in group A.

Group B will feature Americas champions Argentina, France, Colombia and Iran. Asian champions China, European title-holders Russia, Mexico and South Korea are in group C.

Current world and Paralympic champions Brazil headline group D alongside Great Britain, Costa Rica and Mali.

The full schedule is available on Madrid 2018’s official website.