For the first time, Monaco is set to host a major para-sport event: the French Women’s Torball Championship D1, a unique and fast-paced sport designed for visually impaired athletes.
Played on an indoor court, Torball involves two teams of three players who use their sense of hearing to detect a bell-filled ball rolling towards them. The objective is to block the ball from entering their goal while attempting to score against the opposing team. All players wear eye masks to ensure fair competition, relying solely on auditory cues and spatial awareness.
The initiative to bring this championship to Monaco was born from a meeting between Sébastien Filippini, president of the ANICES association, and Lionel Galfré, Monaco’s technical advisor for disability affairs. Encouraged by Monaco’s designation as the 2025 World Capital of Sport, the project quickly gained support. With approval from the National Council of Monaco, ANICES, in collaboration with CICAM and Lionel Galfré, will oversee the organization of this prestigious event.
More than just a sporting competition, the championship aims to raise awareness about disability and promote para-sports in Monaco. In addition to the tournament, visitors will be able to take part in interactive activities, including a blindfolded running workshop to experience visual impairment, an introduction to Braille, and an opportunity to meet Paralympian Patrice Barattero, who competed in Para Snowboard at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. He will share his inspiring journey and showcase different prosthetic legs used in competition.
The competition will take place on 17th May at the ZAC Saint-Antoine Liaison Marquet gymnasium.
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Main photo source: Comité Régional Handisport Hauts-de-France