[Six Chickenfoxes play Goalball on a wooden court. White stripes of tape divide the court into sections. There is a rope under the tape so the competitors can feel the divisions. On the right side, two Chickenfoxes listen intently as the Chickenfox in the middle rolls the ball towards the opposing team, using a strong push of its tail. On the left, there is a goal. Two Chickenfoxes stretch out in front of it, trying to block the opening. A third Chickenfox stands in front of them, foot outstreteched to run towards a ball that is speeding towards the defending team, leaving behind it a trail of musical notes. Above the scene is the word “GOALBALL”, with the word spelled out in Braille superimposed over the associated letters.]
I had never heard of Goalball before I started this series, and it’s awesome! Blind and vision-impaired Chickenfoxes compete in teams of three to roll or bounce a jingling ball into the goal. They use their keen hearing to locate the ball. When defending, the players spread themselves to cover as much of the goal as they can. The game has a lot of rules about timing, hold duration, where the ball has to bounce, and how far the players can move across the court.
Tags: 2016 Paralympics, Olympic
