IBSA World Games


The IBSA World Games or World Blind Games are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Blind Sports Federation. The events enable blind and partially sighted athletes to compete in a number of sports. The first event took place at Madrid, Spain in 1998.

Editions

IBSA World Games

EditionYearHostDatesSports
11998Spain

IBSA World Youth Games (WYC)

  • Former name: IBSA World Youth and Student Games
EditionYearHostDatesSports
12005United States

History

1998 IBSA World Games

The inaugural 1998 sports event was held in Madrid, Spain for athletics, swimming, goalball and judo for the blind and vision-impaired.

2003 IBSA World Games

The 2003 Quebec, Canada event included five-a-side football, goalball and judo, other disciplines have been added to the event. Blind athletes were able to compete in the following sports: powerlifting, ten-pin and nine-pin bowling, biathlon, alpine skiing, archery, showdown, swimming, shooting, torball, Nordic skiing, athletics and cycling. Although a lot of winter sports were added to the list such as skiing, but also bowling and many others, but was held in five sports: Swimming, athletics, goalball, judo, and powerlifting.

2007 IBSA World Games

The 2007 IBSA World Games was held from 28 July to 8 August in São Paulo, Brazil.
The sports were powerlifting, judo, goalball, football, swimming, and athletics.

2011 IBSA World Games

The 2011 Antalya, Turkey sports were athletics, chess, futsal B1, futsal B2/B3, goalball, judo, powerlifting, swimming.

2015 IBSA World Games

The 2015 IBSA World Games was held from 8 to 18 June 2015, in Seoul, South Korea.

2019 IBSA World Games

Nominations for the host nation for the 2019 IBSA World Games was called on 3 March 2017. It was not possible to find a host nation able to cater for all the sports. Instead the IBSA Goalball and Judo Paralympic Games qualifying tournaments were held in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States of America in June–July 2019, in conjunction with the federation's four-yearly international general assembly.

2023 IBSA World Games

In May 2020, British Blind Sport and the University of Birmingham, England was announced as the host city, for 18–27 August 2023. There were ten sports, including goalball which was held in Coventry.

2027 IBSA World Games

The host nation was announced in November 2024 for Tashkent, under the auspices of the Uzbekistan National Paralympic Committee.