Mogadishu – For many Somalis, the sport of football is a passion, whether it be following teams in a local tournament or in one of the world’s major leagues.

But for one group of Somalis, it is the sport of goalball that has them eager to score.

A version of the classic football game and designed specifically for people with visual impairments, goalball is a team sport in which participants compete to throw a ball past the opposing team and into their net to score points. The ball contains a bell which emits a ringing sound to guide the players.

The sport, which was created in the 1940s and is now an Olympic sport, was on display recently during an exhibition match at the Embassy of Türkiye in Mogadishu to mark World Sight Day. Marked globally in October, the Day aims to promote eye and vision care.

Two teams made up of three visually-impaired players from Mogadishu’s visually-impaired community each took to the field for 15-minute-long halves before a spectators who included senior representatives from the Somali government, civil society and Turkish embassy staff – as well as a rather atypical referee.  

“I’m honoured to be the official referee of this wonderful match between two talented teams of players with visual impairments,” said Somalia’s Minister of Family and Human Rights Development, Gen. Bashir Mohamed Jama, who is also football referee certified with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

“The Ministry strongly supports the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life, including sports activities,’ he added. “We hope that once the current disability rights bill is endorsed by the Upper House and signed by the President, we’ll see even more inclusive activities in Somalia where no one is left behind.”

Disability inclusion

The goalball match organised and hosted by the Embassy of Türkiye, the Somali Youth Organization for the Visually Impaired, or UDHAN as it is known in its Somali acronym; and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).

“Disability inclusion is a key goal for the United Nations. There are many ways that we can ensure that everyone has a chance to participate in all aspects of life and the human condition, and we need to keep working towards that end,” said the Acting UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan, who also serves as the Head of UNSOM. 

“Our visually-impaired brothers might be neglected by others but for us, we always remember them as much as we can and we're here today to support them,” said Turkish Ambassador Alper Aktaş.

Guests included senior representatives from the Federal Government of Somalia’s Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development, of Youth and Sports, and of Religious Affairs and Endowment.

In his remarks to the event, the Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development’s Gen. Jama flagged current legislative processes involving the rights of people with disabilities in Somalia – particularly mentioning the Disabilities Protection Bill, which was recently passed by the country’s lower house of parliament, known as the House of the People.  

“[Once signed]… it will be a national obligation that will give equal rights to persons with disabilities like the rest of the people, and I promise to work with you to implement it,” the minister said. 

In December last year, the United Nations commended the Federal Government of Somalia for its progress in promoting the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities. This included reaching significant milestones such as the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, establishing the National Disability Agency (NDA). 

The NDA’s chairperson was present for the match.

“I would like to thank to the organizers and UDHAN team—it’s truly inspiring to see visually impaired players competing in this game to commemorate World Sight Day. These are the very principles that NDA was founded upon: inclusion, empowerment, and full equality for persons with disabilities,” said Mohamed Jama. 

“We hope to see more games like this at both the community and national levels, as they play a crucial role in changing public perceptions and attitudes towards persons with disabilities,” the NDA’s head added.

Addressing the event, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mohamed Barre Mohamud, reiterated the government’s commitment to empowering persons with disabilities and urged stakeholders to support disability sports. 

“It's important for visually-impaired persons to participate in sports. As a ministry, we're happy to be part of this event. Visually-impaired people know that I'm a close friend of theirs,” said Minister Mohamud, adding, “We are also proud to have organised a [sports] tournament for the hearing-impaired persons, a six-month tournament which we'll hold again this year.” 

World Sight Day

Observed on 10 October, World Sight Day is coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). According to its website, the day serves as an opportunity to focus the world’s attention on the importance of eye care in young people and inspiring children everywhere to love their eyes. 

There are an estimated 2.5 million persons with disabilities in Somalia, including about 360,000 people with vision impairment. 

At the end of the exhibition match, the captain of the losing team and one of UDHAN’s co-founders, Abdirahman Mohamud Kulane, was disappointed about his loss but emphasized that the tournament had other, bigger goals in mind. 

“We are all excited to be celebrating today by playing this game,” Mr. Kulane said. “It’s not just an entertainment for us – it’s also an opportunity to raise public awareness about disability rights and inclusion, emphasizing our right to leisure and participation in sports activities, and we hope such events will help change perceptions in Somalia.”