#2 Goalball
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Goalball is a sport that was originally created in the year 1946 to help rehabilitate patients who had suffered damage to their body during the World War II. The sport is currently played by visually impaired athletes in 85 different countries and featured for the first time at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo 1976.
The sport consists of two 12-minute halves and is contested between two teams of six players each. Out of the six players, three are on the pitch and three are on the bench, with each wearing a blackout mask to ensure equality.
The players act as both attackers and defenders and try to score goals by throwing the ball either low or bouncing it. The goalball that is used in the sport weighs 1.25kg and has bells inside it to make a noise that the players follow.
The game is overseen by 11 referees in total, out of which two conduct the match, four replace balls and guide substitutes, and five are the scorers. The width of the two goals at either end is the width of the pitch, therefore the players position themselves accordingly in the positions they need to defend – right wing, left wing and in the central or pivot position.
Goalball will be played in Brazil by 10 men and 10 women's teams each.
Finland are the current men’s Paralympic champions as they won the gold medal in London 2012. Whereas, Japan will be defending the gold in the women’s event. Brazil are the men’s world champions and won the 2014 Goalball World Championships, while USA are the women’s world champions.
