ATHENS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A light football with a jingling sound has sent in the past four years thousands of children with visual impairments across the world with confidence in the field, next to their sighted schoolmates and neighbors, spreading hope and joy and promoting inclusion.

MINI FOOTBALL "A BALL FOR ALL"

Weighing 250 grams compared to the 550-gram balls used in adult blind football, it is the brainchild of Elias Mastoras, International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Blind Football Chairman and founder of the NGO Youthorama, based in Thessaloniki, a port city in northern Greece.

For the international campaign "A Ball for All," which to date has raised funds and donated 8,500 such balls in 213 countries and territories, the Greek NGO was awarded in early May the annual #BeInclusive EU Sport Awards by the European Commission.

The latest recognition that their work fosters social inclusion of disadvantaged groups through sports, making real change, gives Mastoras and his partners strength to continue, he told Xinhua in a recent interview at the Athens Olympic Athletic Center (OAKA).

"The majority of the children with visual impairments attend general schools. In a general school, usually they are all sighted apart from one child. So, with the use of this ball, they can play together," Mastoras said.

"That helps them not only during the formal educational time, but also with the feeling that we can play all together, they invite them more in the weekends to play outside and in parties," he added.

HOW THE IDEA WAS BORN

Crossing paths with a four-year-old blind boy named Leandros in 2017 in a school for the blind in Thessaloniki, was a pivotal moment in his life, Mastoras said. When he gave Leandros a ball for Paralympic football to play with his sisters, he realized that it was too heavy for kids.

So, Mastoras, who is involved in the blind football since the 1990s, created the mini football suitable for blind or visually impaired children. The balls cannot be bought in stores. They are available only for donation.

The initiative has already received the support of governments, the EU, sports clubs and organizations, like UEFA Foundation for Children, sponsors and famous football players and coaches, across the globe.

However, the needs are never ending.

Worldwide there are 285 million people visually impaired (39 million blind and 246 million with low vision), while an estimated 500,000 children become blind each year, the campaign notes.

JINGLING FOOTBALL AT EURO 2000, UEFA STADIUMS

A few months ago, with the support of UEFA Foundation for Children, 30 youngsters travelled to Budapest and before the EURO 2020 match France versus Portugal they showcased to fans what they can do with a jingling football.

This April, Leandros, nine-year-old now, was chosen by UEFA to activate the ball of a UEFA quarter-final match PAOK versus Marseille in Thessaloniki.

It was his first time in a football stadium. A few days later he was invited by PAOK to return and score a goal with his mini football before the start of a match.

"Thank you so much" he shouted as thousands of fans cheered. Enditem

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