The main prize of the Commonwealth Football Cup for the totally blind will be contested by the national teams of Belarus and Russia

September 30, Vitebsk / Sergei Kochetov - BELTA /. The main prize of the "Commonwealth Cup" mini-football tournament among totally blind athletes will be contested by the national teams of Russia and Belarus, Secretary General of the Paralympic Committee of Belarus Nikolai Shudeyko told a BELTA correspondent. The final of the competition will take place on October 1 on the field of the specialized children's and youth sports school in Vitebsk. A total of three teams are participating in the draw - the national and youth teams of Belarus and the Russian team. The finalists were determined based on the results of the playoff matches, with the Russian team winning the right to participate in the final after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Belarusian youth team on penalties. The tournament is organized for the first time on the initiative of the Paralympic Committee of Belarus, and the right to host it has been entrusted to Vitebsk, where the national team in this sport is based. "We expect to make the Commonwealth Cup a traditional event and expand the geography of participants. This year, unfortunately, athletes from Ukraine could not come to Vitebsk," said Nikolai Shudeyko. The organizers have prepared numerous prizes for the athletes, which will include awards for the best players in specific positions. In parallel with the mini-football tournament, competitions in goalball for visually impaired and totally blind athletes are organized in Vitebsk, with 4 men's and 3 women's teams from Belarus and Russia participating. Goalball resembles handball: athletes aim to score in the opponent's goal by throwing a special ball with a sound by hand. This sport is included in the Paralympic Games program and is very popular among people with disabilities. -0-