Kochi, Aug 7 (PTI) Indian football has finally made it to world stage thanks to the efforts of eight visually impaired women who have achieved the feat of representing the country at the IBSA World Championship to be held in the United Kingdom from August 14 to 21.

IBSA World Championship is an international multi-sport event, that occurs every four years, organised by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA).

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The Indian women's blind football team has qualified for the games after a 10-year-long effort put in by the Indian Blind Football Federation (IBFF).

This will be the first time ever that India will field a football team as well as a para women's team for a World Cup, which epitomises empowerment of both women and the differently-abled, the IBFF said.

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The national team was selected from a shortlisted group of 20 blind players, five sighted goalkeepers, and three coaches, it said.

The training camp for the team was going on in Kochi, and the team will depart for the UK on August 12, it added.

With the team gearing up to leave for the UK, IBFF and the players are hoping that the Central and State Sports Ministries will come forward to lend a hand of support, as without that it will become extremely difficult for them to progress further, the federation said.

The Indian team's first fixture would be against Austria on August 14 and thereafter, it would face off against Argentina on August 16 and Germany on August 18.

The venue for the matches would be the University of Birmingham – Bournbrook in the UK.

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