Ones to watch for 2017 for sitting volleyball and goalball announced

Eight sitting volleyball and six goalball players have been named as athletes to look out for in 2017. 14 Jan 2017

Group of sitting volleyball players celebrate after a point.

Iran are the reigning Paralympic champions

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The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) continued to announce its Ones to Watch athletes for 2017 on Saturday (14 January) by naming athletes in sitting volleyball and goalball.

Selected in partnership with World Para Volley (WPV) and the International Blind Sports Association (IBSA), the Ones to Watch athletes are individuals who have the potential to make the headlines in sitting volleyball and goalball during the next Paralympic cycle ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

With one eye on the next Paralympic Games, many of this year’s Ones to Watch are young athletes who will develop between now and Tokyo 2020. Others are Paralympic and world medallists looking to stay at the top of their game.

Until 19 January, the IPC will announce Ones to Watch athletes in two sports each day. Around 230 athletes from 22 sports will be named Ones to Watch for 2017 in an effort to make it easier for the public and media to understand which athletes to look out for.

The 2017 Ones to Watch for sitting volleyball and goalball are:

Sitting Volleyball

Morteza Mehrzadselakjani (Iran)

Mirzet Duran (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Hesham Elshwikh (Egypt)

Fabricio Da Silva Pinta (Brazil)

Kaleo Kanahele (USA)

Suellen Cristine Delangelica Lima (Brazil)

Lijun Zhang (China)

Elvira Stinissen (Netherlands)

Goalball

Leomon Moreno (Brazil)