Anices organized its 4th international women’s Torball tournament this weekend.
Anices – Niçoise Association of Cultural and Sports Initiatives – organized an international tournament this weekend with the participation of 8 clubs from 4 different countries: Germany (Dortmund, Langenhagen, San Pauli), Belgium (Waasland), France (Besançon, Nantes, Nice), and Switzerland (Glarus).
It was the French team from Besançon that ultimately won, defeating the Belgians from Waasland 8 to 3!
Torball is a ball sport played by visually impaired athletes (partially sighted or blind). It is very popular in France and aims to promote itself internationally. Torball is not part of the Paralympic sports because goalball, another team ball sport played by visually impaired athletes, is already recognized.
The opposing players, either standing or kneeling without their upper bodies touching the ground, wait for the shoot from the attacker to initiate their defensive position, which often involves diving to block the ball. Once the ball is controlled, the defensive team becomes the attacker and has a limited time to throw the ball back.
The dimensions of the field are 16 × 7 meters. Three cords are stretched across the field, equipped with two bells to make a sound when touched. Each team has, in what could be called its defensive zone, 3 mats measuring 2 meters long and 1 meter wide. They are fixed to the ground with adhesives to prevent movement during the matches, and positioned so that their length is parallel to the goal line. These mats allow players to position themselves in defense and orient themselves before shooting by locating the edges of these rectangles with their hands or feet.
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