Courtesy: The FA.com


England's Turkey challenge

Monday, 03 December 2007

The 2007 IBSA Futsal European Championships
3-9 December 2007
Ankara, Turkey

England's Partially Sighted team will face tournament hosts Turkey in Ankara this week during the 2007 IBSA Futsal European Championships.

But the competition kicks off for the Three Lions on Monday 3 December – International Day of People with Disabilities – when they take on Russia in the first of their group games.

Hosted in Ankara by GESFED, the Turkish Blind Sports Federation, the Championship runs until Saturday 8 December. They will feature a record participation of ten national teams, including reigning world and European champions Belarus.

Alongside hosts Turkey and Russia, England's group will also feature Ukraine and Italy, while in the other section, Spain, France, Belarus, Serbia and Ireland compete.

Partially Sighted Football is for players whose eyesight is classified B2 or B3. There are a number of adaptations to the standard Futsal Rules; Games are played on indoor pitches with a size-4 ball, designed to bounce less than a normal one, The ball is allowed to go above head-height and there are corners and throw-ins, as in FIFA games and Goalkeepers are sighted, but not allowed to leave their areas.

We'll bring you more information from the Tournament throughout the week.



Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com