Madrid 2018: 4 things to know about Russia
European champions looking to win their first world title 08 Apr 2018Russia are the 2017 European Blind Football Champions
The world’s best blind football teams are fine-tuning their preparations and are getting ready for the biggest competition on the calendar: the 2018 International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Blind Football World Championships, set to take place in Madrid, Spain, from 7-17 June.
After winning the 2017 IBSA Blind Football European Championships, Russia* appear as one of the leading contenders for the title.
Here are four facts about the team that will make their World Championships debut in Madrid.
• Blind football first appeared in Russia in 2004 as part of the Russian Federation President’s Cup.
• Russia won their first European Championships in Berlin last year after beating London 2012 silver medallists France in the semi-finals and seven-time European champions Spain in the gold medal-match.
• They ended fourth at the inaugural World Grand Prix in Tokyo, Japan, last month.
• At their World Championships debut, Tikhonov will be a key player, with his nimble dribbling and sharp shooting.
Madrid 2018 is also an important step on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
After the Opening Ceremony on 7 June, the group stages get underway on 8 June. The quarter finals and play-offs begin on 13 June with the final taking place on 17 June.
*Editor's note: The International Paralympic Committee suspended the Russian Paralympic Committee on 7 August 2016 for its inability to fulfil its IPC membership responsibilities and obligations, in particular its obligation to comply with the IPC Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Code (to which it is also a signatory). As a result of the suspension, Russian athletes cannot enter IPC sanctioned events or competitions, including the Paralympic Games.