GISAGARA GOAL BALL TEAM registered a bright start to this year’s national goal ball championship after winning its opening matches over the weekend in Musanze. Gisagara who sit on top of the standings with nine points started with a clean sheet beating Kivu team 9-2; Ngororero 10-0 and HVP/Gatagara 5-4 respectively. Defending champions Gahini and Kivu sit jointly in second position with seven points each. Rwamagana is fourth-placed on level with Musanze on six points while Ngororero is ranked sixth with three points whereas Bugesera is placed bottom of the standings with no point. The second phase of goal ball national tournament continues between May 24 to 25 in Rwamagana with the last phase expected to be held between June 7 and 8 at the National Paralympics gymnasium in Kigali. Goal ball is a team sport designed specifically for blind athletes where 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. In Rwanda, goal ball was introduced in 2005 and Rwanda participated in All African Games in Algeria in 2007. Rwanda is ranked fourth in Africa, after Algeria, Egypt and Morocco.
