Chisinau hosts the first National Mini-Football Championship for the blind
The first edition of the mini-football championship for the blind featured 6 teams: 3 from Chisinau and one each from Soroca, Tighina, and Tiraspol. The athletes demonstrated that their passion for sports knows no bounds.
According to the rules, each team consists of 4 field players and 1 goalkeeper, who can be either visually impaired or sighted. The ball contains bells or metal bars inside, allowing players to locate it by sound. Each match is played in two 15-minute halves.
Several Paralympic athletes participated in the event, including Ion Basoc, a silver medalist in judo at last year's Paralympic Games and the 2025 world vice-champion. Basoc revealed that he has long been passionate about football and has a favorite team and player.
"As judokas, it's something interesting for us. Why not try it? I played football when I was still sighted. Later, I attempted to play again, but it didn’t work out for me, so I switched to judo. Now I'm back to football, and it's a bit of a 'déjà vu' moment. My favorite team is FC Barcelona, and of course, my favorite footballer is Lionel Messi," said athlete Ion Basoc.
The Chisinau-1 team emerged as the first national champion, defeating the Tighina team in the grand final. The match ended in a 0:0 draw after regulation time, and the winner was determined by penalty kicks.
"Good mood. It was challenging because we knew our opponents well, so it was tough to find a way to score. Overall, it was a positive experience," said Alexei Romanenco, a member of the Tighina team.
"I believe we are organizing the Championship of the Republic of Moldova at a high level. I hope that after this tournament, we will be able to select players for the team that will represent our country on the international stage. I think we have succeeded; we see how determined the players are and how they demonstrate their character," said Oleg Crețul, president of the Paralympic Committee of the Republic of Moldova.
Tiraspol team finished in 3rd place, earning bronze medals after defeating the Soroca team in the small final.
