INDIAN BLIND SPORTS ASSOCIATION

Annual Report for the year 2013-14

During the year under report, the Indian Blind Relief Association (IBSA) continued to work relentlessly to further sustain and advance the blind sports movement in the country. Conduct of a variety of national sports tournaments for the blind, organising coaching for the sports teachers/instructors of the blind, participation in international events and admission of new affiliates along with interaction with other sports organisations like, PCI are some of the major highlights of the Association's activities during the year. Details are presented in the following paragraphs:

New Affiliates: As many as six (6) institutions/organisations joined the IBSA family as affiliates during the year. This raised the number of IBSA affiliates to 168 from 25 States.

  1. Hindustan Ordnance Factories Physically Challenged Worker’s Association, Pune.
  2. National Association for the Blind, Nashik.
  3. Bal KalyanSanstha, Pune.
  4. Indian Blind and Para Judo Association, Lucknow.
  5. Blind Sports Association, Moradabad.
  6. Blind Judo Association, Moradabad.

We welcome all these new partners.

Sports Events:

Week-long sports events for the blind organised by Indian Blind Sports Association (IBSA) and hosted by the Blind Relief Association were held in the B.R.A. premises in New Delhi from 13 to 18 May 2013. The events comprised 8th IBSA National Football Tournament for the Blind, 2nd IBSA National Kabaddi Tournament for the Blind, 5th IBSA Powerlifting Championships (18 May only), and Athletics Coaching Camp and Seminar on Blind Sports. Around 180 sportspersons and support officials from 9 states, notably those from distant states like Kerala, Manipur, Orissa and West Bengal enthusiastically took part in these events.

The sports events were inaugurated by the reputed veteran athlete Sri Gurbachan Singh Randhawa. Sri Randhawa, flagged off the first kabaddi match of the 2nd IBSA National Kabaddi Championship played between JPM School for the Blind, Delhi and Ahmedi School for the Blind, Aligarh. He also watched the inaugural match of the 8th National Football Tournament concurrently played between teams of the same two institutions.

As always the Football Tournament turned out be be highly exciting event. For the championship, eight teams, including the first timer team from Kerala, contested. There was skill, strategy, determination and passion of the blind footballers to be seen. The final match was played between the experienced Equal Opportunity Cell, Delhi University team which was trying for a hat trick championship, and the first-timer but well-prepared team of Society for Rehabilitation of Visually Challenged team from Kochi, Kerala. In this exciting match the Kerala team gave a tough fight to the experienced Delhi University team, until the last minute field goal scored by Abhimanyu which decided the match in favour of the Delhi University team and giving it the third consecutive championship of the IBSA Football National Tournament.

Similarly, the 2ndKabaddi Championships, played according to the new rules prepared by Indian Blind Sports Association was also full of excitement. 5 teams took part in the Championships. The final was played among two Delhi teams, namely, Institution for the Blind and Hostel for College-going Blind Students. Institution for the Blind team successfully claimed the Championship. This Championship provided a most valuable opportunity to IBSA to try out the new rules and based on the this experience and suggestions from the participants to further hone them.

The Powerlifting Championship took place on 18 May. The events were conducted under the care of officials provided by Powerlifting Federation of India. 25 blind powerlifters took part in different weight categories. The enthusiastic participation underscored the growing attraction of blind youth towards this new sports being promoted by IBSA in the country.Tirpat Pal Singh from Punjab was once again the star powerlifter of the Championships.

Simultaneously, over this six-day period the Athletics Coaching Camp and Seminar on Blind Sports was held. The participants were blind athletes, their trainers, and sports managers. IBSA’s athletics coach Dr. Satypal Singh, a Dronacharyaawardee, conducted intense practical training and theory sessions on different aspects of track and field events. Dr.P.S.M.Chandran, a leading expert in sports-medicine in the country gave a talk on health, sports injuries and dangers and ill effects of doping. The Coaching Camp also had sessions devoted to yoga, blind-football, and kabaddi. A Judo demonstration was arranged courtesy the noted Judo expert Sri MunawwarAnzar. His team of Judo-ka gave a very educative and exciting demonstration of basic Judo techniques and self-defence.

The Closing Ceremony was in the evening of Saturday 18 May 2013. Justice Dr.A.S.Anand, former Chief Justice of India and President of Blind Relief Association was the Chief Guest and Sri Awanish K. Awasthi, Joint Secretary (Disability Affairs), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment was the Guest of Honour . The Chief Guest and the Guest of Honour gave away the Championship trophies to the winners and runner up teams of Kabaddi as well as Football Tournament.

International Participation: A team of 10 blind budding football players, accompanied by 4 support staff represented IBSA in the Thailand Open Football 5-A-Side (B1) Tournament held in Bangkok from 19-23 August, 2013. This was the first international outing for IBSA Football team, yet they proved their mettle and reached the semi-finals of the tournament. 6 teams representing Hon Kong, India, Iran, Malaysia, Russia and Thailand participated.

Shri P.C. Mehta, General Secretary, IBSA participated in the 9th International Blind Sports Federation General Assembly and Conference 2013 held in Copenhagen (Denmark) on 29th August to 1st September. Hundred delegates representing 41 countries attended the event.

The main session of Sports Conference held on 30th August consisted of presentations on sports like Football, Goal ball, Ice hockey, Judo, Fund raising, anti doping etc.

On 31st August General Assembly was held which discussed organisational matter like changes in the Federation's Constitution etc. Mr. DongeeChoi, President, 2015 Seoul IBSA World Championships & Games Organising Committee gave an overview of preparations/arrangements of the World Championships scheduled to be held from 8-18 May, 2015 at Seoul.

On 1st September the delegates elected a new team of Federation's Office Bearers with Ms. JannieHammarshoiof Denmark being unanimously elected its President.

Participation in PCI Annual Meeting: Mr. C.P. Mohanan, Treasurer, IBSA participated in the Annual General Body Meeting of the Paralympic Committee of India held on 24th January 2014 at Bangalore. He highlighted the efforts made by IBSA for promoting blind sports in the country over the past few decades and requested PCI to take on board the special needs and requirements of blind athletes and facilitate their participation in international events. Mr. Mohanan also participated in the elections of office bearers at the meeting.

Acknowledgement:IBSA would like to acknowledge with gratitude the support received from various donors, who lent financial and/or logistic support for organising various events. The main donors were:

Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited

SRF Limited

M/s. Amravati Associates Pvt. Ltd.

M/s. Sopra IndiaPvt. Ltd.

M/s. Sun International Pvt. Ltd.

S.C. Johnson Product Pvt. Ltd.

Kaycee Digital Works Pvt. Ltd.

Ms. MeenakshiDurani

M/s. Anmol Creations

Mr. ChuniLalChaudhary

Mr. Prabhat Singh