Colpbol, which is very popular in Spain but little known in Lithuania, is making its way onto the playing fields. Sports professionals, people with intellectual disabilities and sports enthusiasts are invited to experience the uniqueness of this inclusive sport for themselves.

Wednesday 9^th of November at 11:00 a.m., in Kaunas University of Applied Science Sports Hall will host an exhibition match between Kaunas University of Applied Science basketball team, Sports Management graduates, students of social care center “Vija”, Kaunas St. Rock School, Day Care Centre “Šviesa”.

Colpbol is a great example of what a modern inclusive sport should look like. The rules of the game are in line with all the theoretical recommendations for inclusive sport. By the nature of the game, the sport is like a combination of volleyball and handball, requiring no special equipment or infrastructure for persons with intellectual disabilities. It is open to people with both physical and intellectual disabilities. The game promotes cooperation, social relations and teamwork, adding value to the participation of mixed teams, regardless of the ability of each player. Active cooperation between players with different abilities contributes to the achievement of common goals. The game is highly dynamic, inclusive and egalitarian, with all team members playing an equal roles, and mixed-ability teams being the rule rather than the exception.

This competition is the final event of the Erasmus+ project “Implementation of COLPBOL Sport at a European Level as a Tool to Improve the Quality of Life of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities” implemented by the Department of Tourism and Leisure Management in the field of sport, which is being carried out in cooperation with six other European institutions. Demonstration tournaments have also been organized in Romania and are planned for Greece and Spain in the near future.

The project activities included training for sports professionals, people with intellectual disabilities and those who support sports lovers. An e-learning platform was also created, where everyone can find information on the rules of the game, guidelines, methodologies, videos, and the possibility to organize training for individual groups.

“We aim to promote the game of bowls in Europe by creating a network and bringing people together, regardless of their gender, abilities, status or race”, – sums up the project’s activities Jūratė Martinonytė, a lecturer at the Department of Tourism and Leisure Management at the Faculty of Business, who is also a project coordinator.

The event will take place on 9^th of November from 11a.m to 2p.m . The event will take place in the Great Kaunas University of Applied Science Sports Hall (Pramonės pr. 22).