The International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA), is a nonprofit organization founded 1981 in Paris, France. Its mission is to promote the full integration of blind and partially sighted people in society through sport and to encourage people with a visual impairment to take up and practise sports. IBSA is a full member of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
It is an independent international federation in charge of fifteen sports for the blind and partially sighted, including: Athletics, Alpine skiing, Goalball, Futsal (five-a-side football), Judo, Biathlon, Swimming, Powerlifting, Shooting, Archery, Showdown, Ten-pin bowling, Nine-pin bowling, Nordic skiing, and Cycling.
The IBSA organizes the IBSA World Championships and Games, held every four years. The first edition took place 1998 in Madrid, Spain followed by the event in 2003 at Quebec, Canada to be held from then on one year before the Paralympics.
Famous quotes containing the words blind, sports and/or federation:
“But the star-glistered salver of infinity,
The circle, blind crucible of endless space,
Is sluiced by motion,—subjugated never.”
—Hart Crane (1899–1932)
“Guys do not have a genetic blueprint that allows them to understand or love sports.”
—Lesley Visser, U.S. sports reporter and announcer. As quoted in Sports Illustrated, p. 82 (June 17, 1991)
“Women realize that we are living in an ungoverned world. At heart we are all pacifists. We should love to talk it over with the war-makers, but they would not understand. Words are so inadequate, and we realize that the hatred must kill itself; so we give our men gladly, unselfishly, proudly, patriotically, since the world chooses to settle its disputes in the old barbarous way.”
—General Federation Of Women’s Clubs (GFWC)