RAWALPINDI: OCT 27 (DNA): Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi played a pivotal role in the IBSA Goalball Asia Pacific Championship 2025, marking the first time Pakistan hosted this international sporting event. The hospital conducted vision classification tests for visually impaired athletes, ensuring fair competition and full compliance with international standards.
The championship, held at the Liaquat Gymnasium in Islamabad from October 15 to 21, featured 17 teams from 11 countries, including Iran, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Iraq, Uzbekistan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Pakistan. Iran won the men’s title by defeating China, while China secured the women’s title after beating Japan. The event also served as a qualifier for the 2026 IBSA World Championships in China, where Al-Shifa will again play a key role in athlete classification.
Speaking to blind athletes and foreign experts, Al-Shifa Trust President Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Rehmat Khan said Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital stands as a unique national institution dedicated to combating preventable blindness. He said the Trust now operates seven state-of-the-art hospitals across the country, equipped with modern diagnostic, surgical, and rehabilitation facilities that together form South Asia’s largest and most integrated eye care network.
Maj. Gen. Khan emphasized that the hospital’s mission has always been rooted in service to the people rather than profit. He noted that Al-Shifa Trust was established without any foreign funding or assistance, relying solely on the generous contributions of Pakistani donors who continue to sustain its operations and expansion. He added that this spirit of self-reliance reflects Pakistan’s potential to build and maintain world-class healthcare institutions through local commitment and transparency.
The week-long event, organized by the Pakistan Blind Sports Federation in collaboration with the Pakistan Sports Board and the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA), showcased Pakistan’s growing capacity to meet global medical and sporting standards.
Al-Shifa’s Light House Department, equipped with advanced diagnostic technology, earned high praise from visiting international medical and sports officials, who described its facilities as comparable to leading low-vision centers worldwide. Medical experts noted that accurate vision classification is essential to ensure competitive fairness and athlete safety, a principle reinforced throughout the championship.
The IBSA Goalball event positioned Pakistan as a credible regional venue for inclusive sports. It underscored the broader impact of locally sustained health institutions in meeting international benchmarks.
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