GOALBALL players from York have been instrumental in the success of the UK National teams at the FEDC Invitational Goalball Tournament in Madrid, helping them secure a podium position.

Antonia Bunyan and Andrea Logan of the women’s GB team and Matt Loftus and Caleb Naneive of the men’s competed against some of the top teams in Europe.

All three train with the Northern All Stars goalball club at York St John University.

Developed to help soldiers recover during World War II, goalball is designed for the visually impaired and has become one of the fastest-growing disability sports in the country with participation levels rising by 325 per cent since the London Olympics in 2012.

The women’s squad celebrated comprehensive wins against Belgium (10-0) and Spain (11-1) and finished the competition with the second best goal difference (+17) topped only by the Rio-qualifying USA team.

The men’s squad enjoyed an equally successful competition with victories over Denmark (10-4), Poland (10-5) and Spain (9-4) taking them to third place.

Naneive emphasised the importance of the tournament to GB Goalball, saying: “Madrid was a real test for the GB squads and we’re incredibly proud to have performed so strongly.”

Commenting on the success of the competition, Bunyan said: “This was always going to be a challenging tournament with some high-ranking teams standing between us and the podium. Both teams fought hard and it is amazing to see us both claim bronze.”

Loftus added: “It’s the start of a really exciting time for the national teams as we aim towards the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Madrid has been a massive boost to our confidence and both squads are excited for the next four years holds for GB Goalball.”

Anyone interested in getting involved in goalball should email Martin Bond at m.bond@yorksj.ac.uk