The Belarusian national team won the Commonwealth Cup in mini-football among visually impaired athletes

October 1, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA /. The Belarusian national football team became the winner of the "Commonwealth Cup" mini-football tournament for visually impaired athletes, which concluded today in Vitebsk, a BELTA correspondent reports. In the final match, the Belarusian team defeated the Russian national team. The regular time of the match ended in a 0-0 draw, and in the penalty shootout, luck favored the tournament hosts - 1-0. A total of three teams participated in the competition - 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 earning the right to participate in the final after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Belarusian youth team on penalties. The organizers prepared numerous prizes for the athletes, including awards for the best players in their respective positions. The tournament was organized for the first time at the initiative of the Paralympic Committee of Belarus, and Vitebsk, where the national team in this sport is based, was entrusted with hosting it. "The idea of holding such competitions arose after our team's debut at the European Championship in France, which took place this year and where we managed to prove ourselves positively," noted Oleg Kirillov, head coach of the Belarusian team. Belarusian footballers were able to assess their level of preparation compared to the leading teams on the continent and even matured in terms of their game, he added. However, to perform successfully on the international stage, experience is necessary, which comes, among other things, from playing against strong opponents. Therefore, the organizers of the Commonwealth Cup plan to make the tournament a traditional event and hold it alternately in countries whose teams show interest in the tournament, particularly in Russia, Ukraine, and possibly the Baltic states. Moreover, such competitions allow athletes to expand their social circle and establish friendly contacts. The tournament was one of the stages of the national team's preparation for the World Cup in England, which will be held in 2010. In addition, the team plans to participate in international tournaments in Greece and England, which will provide an opportunity to approach the World Championship in the most balanced form. In parallel with the mini-football tournament, goalball competitions for visually impaired and totally blind athletes were held in Vitebsk, with the participation of four men's and three women's teams from Belarus and Russia. Goalball is similar to 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-