A Blackburn sports club for the blind, that has been backed by world champion boxer Amir Khan in the past, is celebrating after coming top of the league in goalball.
The team at Blackburn Blind Sports, which provides sports sessions to the blind and visually impaired, is celebrating after winning the Goalball UK regional competition.
Goalball is a sport designed specifically for the blind. It is played on the same size court as volleyball and involves a team of three listening to a ball with bells in it and defending their nine-metre-wide goal. They try to score past the opposite team by throwing the 1.25kg ball underarm
The Blackburn Bullets goalball team finished top of the table with 26 points, a full 11 points ahead of rivals the Greater Manchester Falcons.
Player Mohammed Salim Patel, who also founded Blackburn Blind Sports, received the top male goal scorer award for the full season after scoring 50 goals.
The team consisted of Mohammed Salim Patel, Jason Cocker, Sajad Hussain, Latif Lewis, Nadia Patel, Ilyas Patel, Hanif Patel, Yousaf Choglay and assistant coach Payton Taylor.
At the final tournament of the season in Sheffield, on March 29, the Blackburn Bullets won all four matches, giving them their second gold of the season and the points to win the league. The team only lost one match all season over 13 matches.
Mohammed, chair of Blackburn Blind Sports Club and centre player for the Blackburn Bullets goalball team, said: “I am absolutely elated to have won the league in our debut season. It is all thanks to the dedication of all the players, coaches, and volunteers that we have achieved this.
“To have only lost one match throughout the whole season is credit to the weekly training sessions.”
Mohammed set up the service because he was frustrated at the lack of sports available to the blind and partially sighted in Blackburn and across Lancashire. Last year, he launched an appeal to pay for new equipment. The fundraiser was backed by Bolton boxer, Amir Khan, who donated £2,000.
The club runs weekly goalball sessions at Bangor Street Community Centre and Pleckgate High School led by head coaches Reshma Patel and Qasam Khan.
Mohammed said the charity has “gone from strength to strength” in recent months and plans to expand the number of sports on offer.
He said: “Blackburn Blind Sports Club is going from strength to strength with new players and volunteers coming through.
"As well as the goalball, we’re running blind tennis, strength and conditioning, and will hopefully be expanding to blind football and blind baseball.”
“It’s humbling to see the difference the club is making. Blind people are coming from across the North West to the club and we’re seeing real improvements to their physical and mental health, confidence and we’re getting them out of isolation.”
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