The Islamic Republic of Iran and Finland have shared the points in their preliminary round fixture of the 2014 International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Goalball World Championship.
In a match held at Tapiola Sport Center in the Finnish city of Espoo on Thursday evening, Iranian men's national goalball team dominated much of the match and went ahead 4-2 until the final minutes, before the hosts tied it up 5-5.

With the result, Iran clinched a spot in the semi-finals of the tournament by a total of 11 points and a goal differential of +15.

Earlier on Thursday, Iranian visually-challenged athletes drew 6-6 with Spain.

The Iranian team will be searching for a final berth as it faces off against a strong Brazil side on Friday.

The 2014 IBSA Goalball World Championships opened in Espoo on June 26, and will wrap up on July 6.

The top three teams of the tournament will book their tickets to the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.

The Iranian team has been pitted against host Finland, Algeria, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and the US in Pool A. Pool B consists of Belgium, Brazil, Egypt, Japan, Canada, China, Lithuania and Turkey.

Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for male and female athletes with a visual impairment. Participants compete in teams of three, and try to throw a ball that has bells embedded in it into the opponents' goal.

Teams alternate throwing or rolling the ball from one end of the playing area to the other, and players remain in the area of their own goal in both defense and attack. Players must use the sound of the bell to judge the position and movement of the ball. Games consist of two 12-minute halves.

By Press TV

 

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