The social project of the UAF «League of Amputees» is developing and launching a new direction — football for people with visual impairments. The project is being implemented within the framework of a large social program of the UAF to develop adaptive football in cooperation with the Ukrainian Football Association for People with Disabilities (UAFPDL).

«The development of adaptive sports is one of the key priorities of the UAF Foundation. In this context, we initiated a new direction within the «League of Amputees»— football for people with visual impairments.

It does not stop at training: the project forms a community of like-minded individuals and opens up new opportunities for personal development. We are convinced that sports have tremendous potential to change lives», — noted Olena Balbek, CEO of the UAF Foundation.

Photo: Dan Balashov

What are the features of Blind Football?

• The matches and training take place on a field measuring 40x20 m.
• During the game, five players are on the field — four outfield players and one goalkeeper.
• Outfield players wear eye masks to ensure equal conditions.
• The ball is equipped with bells so that players can orient themselves by sound.
• To avoid collisions, players shout «Voy» (from Spanish).

Photo: Dan Balashov

«Football is all-round development. Our training for blind football improves the physical condition of participants, enhances their coordination and orientation in space, as well as, importantly, improves brain function and develops neural connections», — trainer Artem Gryshin explained about the benefits.

Enrollment is ongoing! Free training sessions take place in Kyiv under the guidance of an experienced coach three times a week.

When: Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Time: 15:00—17:00.

Location: Kyiv, artificial fields of the NTI named after V. Bannikov.

Contact: coach Artem Gryshin — 050 576 98 08.

Photo: Dan Balashov

Blind Football— this is a type of football adapted for people with visual impairments. The first European country where Blind Football began to develop actively was Spain, and in 1997 the Spaniards won at the inaugural European Championship. A year later, Brazil triumphed at the World Cup. In 2004, blind football was included in the Paralympic Games program.

Photo: Dan Balashov

«League of Amputees» — this is a social project of the Ukrainian Football Association that helps people with amputations or impairment of one limb return to an active life and find inspiration through sports. The project covers a wide range of tasks: attracting new players, creating teams in cities, organizing training sessions, preparing professionals — coaches and managers, as well as equipping teams with full-fledged sports equipment. UAF also develops the competitive component — holding cups and initiating championships.