19^th IBSA National Sports Meet for the Blind -2014

New Delhi, 13^th December, 2014: Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs & Sports Government of India will inaugurate the 19^th National Sports Meet for the Blind at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday the 13^thDecember, 2014 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi.  and Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi Hon’ble Member of Parliament will be theGuest of Honour.  Over 60 teams of blind sports persons from 14 states will participate in the 4 day event.  The meet is the largest national Sports event for the blind in the country and is held every two years.  These meets are organized by the Indian Blind Sorts Association with the support from the Blind Relief Association, Delhi.  The last meet (18th) was held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (New Delhi in December 2012).

The 19^th meet will have about 600 participants, including officials, from such far off places as Manipur, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.  The meet will continue till 16^th December, 2014 and will witness the budding and some of the finest totally blind and low vision athletes from across the country, several of them with international exposure and medal winners, vying for medals and creating new meet and National marks.  The meet will be divided into Intermediate (14 to 17 yrs and Open (not below 14 yrs) age sections, with separate competitions for male and female athletes under the three sight classifications, namely, B-1 (totally blind), B-2 and B-3 (low vision/partially blind) athletes.  The track events include 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500 and 5000m and relay races.  Field events will have long jump, shot put, javelin and discus throws.  The Chess competition will also form part of the meet and will be held at the premises of the Blind Relief Association, Delhi.

All the competitions will be conducted in accordance with international norms for blind sports as stipulated by International Blind Sports Federation.  To ensure highest level of professionalism and fair conduct of competitions services of professional and experienced judges and other technical officials from Athletic Federation of India, Chess Federation and IBSA are being taken.

Elaborate arrangements for free boarding, lodging and transportation of the participants coming from different parts of India are being made at the premises of the Blind Relief Association.  In the evening cultural programmes are being arranged for the entertainment of the participants.

The 19th meet is especially significant as performance in this meet will form the basis for short listing athletes for participating in the 5th World Championships and Games for the blind scheduled to be held in May 2015 in Seoul, Korea.