Cibleball offers an equal sporting platform for disabled & non-disabled people to compete

Say hello to Cibleball! This is a new sport that offers a platform for everyone to compete on an equal basis. This means no segregation between people with and without disabilities.

A new sport that does not discriminate between disabled and non-disabled people. Sounds unbelievable? That’s Cibleball, a sport that offers everyone a chance to compete under the same rules.

Cibleball has been developed by an Iranian engineer-developer from Iran called Arash Kouzehkanani. Arash, who now lives in Turkey, is into sports in a big way. He is a basketball player and a champion in shooting and fencing.

Cibleball came about as a result of his interest in these sports as well as his work experience in mechatronics.
A multidisciplinary branch of engineering, mechatronics focuses on electrical and mechanical systems. It includes a combination of robotics, electronics, computer, telecommunications, systems, control, and product engineering.

Cibleball was born as a combination of my background in basketball, fencing and shooting as well as my professional experience. Cibleball provides an alternative visual sense. This means that players can see not with not just the eyes, but also ears and hands. This involves the senses of sight, hearing and touch. – Arash Kouzehkanani, Inventor-CEO, Cibleball

In 2015, Arash developed the first version of Cibleball but he it was heavy and expensive. He fine-tuned it with team-mate Behnam Jadidi. The new version developed is cheaper and lighter.

Rules of Cibleball

In the game, the player, who is seated, has to take shots towards a ring placed at a height. The closer he hits the centre of the ring, the higher the score. The scoring system is interactive and designed such that players with different levels of disability can take part. There is a sensory input on the accuracy of throws. It tells the player the position of his or her last shot on the ring, so throws can be adjusted accordingly.

“It enables a disabled player to adjust his/her throws exactly like a basketball player does after visually observing shots”, explains Behnam who joined Arash earlier this year. “A blind participant, for instance, will adjust the next shoot after getting the feedback that the last shot was 28-cm off to the right or 12-cm off forward from the centre. A Deafblind person receives tactile feedback under the fingers”.

Cibleball takes away the need to see, a primary requirement for competing. The seating system enables paraplegics or people with lower limb disabilities to take part.

First international Cibleball event in 2021

At present, Cibleball is a part of the sports curriculum in many schools in Iran and Turkey. A competition was recently held as well in Iran. “The New College Worcester in England for blind and low vision student has also shown interest”, says Arash. “They have ordered a training package which we will send after the coronavirus crisis ends”.

Arash and Behram also plan to organise the first Cibleball international competition next year. Given the growing interest and enthusiasm among the disabled community in India in sporting activities, Cibleball may have a future in this country.

“Players succeed solely on the basis of their merit, hard work and determination regardless of any disability”, says Arash. “Cibleball helps create a level-playing field. A deaf-blind person who did not have any opportunity to enter any competition can now compete with seasoned athletes at global-level competitions”.

Regularly playing Cibleball, say Arash and his team, can benefit disabled people in many ways. It can help improve the functioning of muscles. A blind or a deafblind player can also be spatially oriented to target, his/her shoot, body and muscles.

Click this link to see how Cibleball is played.

To know more about the rules of the games, click on this site.

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