Fort Wayne to Host Paralympic Qualifiers
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowTurnstone Center in Fort Wayne has announced it will host the International Blind Sports Federation Goalball and Judo Paralympic Qualifying Competition next year. The organization expects up to 400 athletes from over 30 countries to take part. The event will give athletes the chance to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, after world and regional championships held in 2018 and 2019. Events will take place at the Turnstone Center, Indiana Tech and the Grand Wayne Center.
The announcement comes a month after Turnstone earned the designation as the seventh U.S. Paralympic Training Site, which CEO Mike Mushett discussed last weekend during Inside INdiana Sports with Bill Benner. After the announcement, Mushett said the collaboration with the United States Olympic Committee would open the door for "countless future successes" for its athletes and northeast Indiana.
The International Blind sports Federation Goalball and Judo Paralympic Qualifying competition runs from June 30-July 10, 2019. Turnstone says more information on the events, including registration information, travel and lodging details and a tentative schedule, will be available in September.
Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for blind athletes. The sport combines dodgeball, bowling, volleyball and soccer.
Turnstone is in its 75th year of service. Its footprint includes the Goalball Center of Excellence and the Plassman Athletic Center at Turnstone. The facilities opened in 2015 as part of the nearly $15 million Turnstone of Tomorrow project. At the time, the organization said Plassman was the "most accessible" facility of its type in the country. It includes a fieldhouse, warm water pool, health and wellness center and locker rooms.