From July 2-9, 500 athletes from around the world competed in Fort Wayne with one thing on their minds – qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
The 2019 International Blind Sports Federation Goalball and Judo International Qualifier featured goalball teams competing for the coveted gold and silver medals that would mean qualification for a trip to the Paralympic Games. Victors included the USA, the event host, and China in the women's tournament; Turkey and Lithuania in the men's.
For judo athletes, otherwise referred to as judoka, the event was a chance to gain world ranking points with the ultimate goal of accumulating enough points to earn a place in Tokyo.
IBSA President Jannie Hammershoi shared her reflections on one of the organization's most successful competitions to date. “From a performance perspective, it is clear that the level in both sports is increasing all the time, and with just one year to go to the Paralympics we know we have a hugely exciting games in store. I would like to congratulate all players, judokas and teams on their achievements.”
It was not only the sports that proved to be a success. Fort Wayne 2019, featuring two of the three Paralympic IBSA sports, set a new benchmark for broadcast and social media.
The competition was shown live on Facebook and YouTube, reaching nearly 100,000 views in total.
On social media the reach was more than 400,000.
“What the organizers did in Fort Wayne should be a model for future local organizing committees to follow. We are aware that funding is tight and broadcast often falls to the bottom of the list, but there are real opportunities available,” Hammershoi said. This was made possible in Fort Wayne because the LOC approached partners, like AWS Foundation, to ask for support to cover the costs – something which is possible to do for all IBSA events.
After taking into account the standard of the sports and broadcast, what made Fort Wayne 2019 really special was the community. Some 700 volunteers gave their time during the event in three top quality venues – Turnstone Center, Indiana Tech and the Grand Wayne Center.
“This small city wrapped their arms around us and made us feel at home,” Hammershoi said. “I have been to a great number of events as both an athlete and president of IBSA, but this was one of the most memorable. The hundreds of volunteers from all across Fort Wayne and the staff from the venues were magnificent all the way through. For a place that had never hosted a major international sports event before, these guys really impressed with their enthusiasm, commitment and sheer number.”
Hammershoi's praises include Turnstone's accessible facilities.
“I would also like to mention accessibility, particularly at Turnstone,” she said. “The fact the venue is used every day by top athletes with visual and physical impairments made a huge difference to the athlete experience. In addition, the city invested in making improvements to infrastructure, such as audible crosswalks, which will leave a lasting legacy for the people of Fort Wayne.”
IBSA is grateful to everyone who made a contribution to the international success of the 2019 IBSA Goalball and Judo International Qualifier. This especially applies to the organizing committee led by Turnstone and the United States Association of Blind Athletes, the venues, the partners and, of course, the volunteers.
It is thanks to events like this that we are able to keep pushing up standards and giving athletes the platforms they deserve to reach their absolute best.
