The Finnish Sports Association of Persons with Disabilities (FSAPD) has launched the website for the 2017 IBSA Goalball European Championships Group A, which will take place in Lahti, Finland, from 18-22 September.

Further information can be found on the event’s Facebook page, Goalball Finland’s Instagram account and the FSAPD’S Twitter account.

The ten best European teams will compete in Lahti, with Turkey hoping to defend both the men’s and women’s titles.

In the men’s competition, the top seven teams of the 2015 European Championships - Turkey, Finland, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium and Sweden – and the top three teams of the 2016 B Division European Championships - Ukraine, Great Britain and Slovenia – will face-off.

Turkey, Russia*, Ukraine, Israel, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Germany and Greece will take part in the women’s event.

For the first time ever, the Goalball Open World Championships for Masters will be contested alongside the European Championships.

This tournament is meant for players who were born in 1977 or before and who have not played for their national team. Each team can also have one junior player born in 1987.

*Editor’s note: The International Paralympic Committee suspended the Russian Paralympic Committee on 7 August 2016 for its inability to fulfil its IPC membership responsibilities and obligations, in particular its obligation to comply with the IPC Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Code (to which it is also a signatory). As a result of the suspension, Russian athletes cannot enter IPC sanctioned events or competitions, including the Paralympic Games.