The IBF Foundation Let’s Play 5! grant programme aims to provide organizations involved in blind football or wishing to start practicing it with the equipment they need to play the sport. The grant program, open for applications from October 3rd, 2022, to October 31st, 2022, drew 14 applications from 11 different countries, and at a recent meeting of the IBF Foundation Board of Directors grants were approved for 11 applications.

The selection committee was made up of IBF Foundation members and the selection criteria were the purpose and target of the project and the organizational capability of the entity applying for support. Upon their request, IBF Foundation will donate balls, non-official eyemasks and IBSA-approved eyemasks to organizations at no cost to them for purchasing or shipping.

The organizations approved are sports or football clubs, NGOs, and sports or non-sports organizations of and for visually impaired people. The fifth edition of the Let’s Play program was characterised by applications received from African countries including Morocco, where the 2022 IBSA Blind Football men’s and women’s African Championships were held last September.

Through playing, visually impaired people can also connect with their peers and experience personal growth. This means that the possibilities for the visually impaired are expanding.

We are pleased to announce the list of recipients:

1. Club Atletico Huracan, Argentina

2. Argyle Community Trust, England

3. Pirsos, Greece

4. India Blind Football Federation, India

5. Sports Club for the Blind of Daloa, Ivory Coast

6. Association Alwissal, Morocco

7. El Jadida Renaisance for youth association, Morocco

8. Hand In Hand Association Club for the Blind And Partially Sighted, Morocco

9. Pakistan Blind Sports Federation, Pakistan

10. Sportclub Only Friends, Netherlands

11. Blind Football Uganda, Uganda