A match held between Poland and India at the Women’s Blind Football World Cup at United Sports Ground, Kakkanad, Kochi, on October 7.
| Photo Credit: R.K. Nithin
Curtains came down on a week-long global para-sport event — a football World Cup, no less — here on Saturday (October 11), marked by minimal support from both the audience and the authorities concerned.
The International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Women’s Blind Football World Cup 2025 concluded at the United Sports Centre, Kakkanad, with Argentina crowned champions for the second consecutive time after defeating England 2–0 in the final. Hosted by the Indian Blind Football Federation (IBFF), the tournament featured eight teams — India, Argentina, Brazil, England, Poland, Turkey, Canada, and Japan.
“We won the bid after competing with five other nations last year. We were awarded the tournament based on our competence in hosting global events, strong infrastructure, and quality performances on the pitch. But despite delivering high-quality international sport, we received hardly any support from the audience or the authorities. Going forward, the best way to support para-sports is to create public awareness and bring in spectators,” said Sunil J. Mathew, Sporting Director and Head Coach of IBFF.
Spectator turnout was sporadic at best, except for the final between England and defending champions Argentina. Another IBFF official lamented the lack of support from the State government. The last global sporting event hosted by the city was the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2017, which received wholehearted support from the government and authorities. “Forget funding to promote the game — not even a single official from the Sports Ministry dropped in during the course of the event,” the official said.
For a sport that already struggles to mobilise resources and stay afloat, the lukewarm reception to this global tournament was a poor advertisement it could ill afford. This was the second edition of the IBSA Women’s Blind Football World Cup. The inaugural edition was held in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in 2023. The game is played in a five-a-side format, with only the goalkeeper being sighted, and consists of two halves of 20 minutes each.
Published – October 11, 2025 08:16 pm IST
