The European Goalball Club Association has been organizing annual low-threshold international goalball tournaments since 2021, providing new clubs, players, coaches, and referees with a pathway to step onto the international stage.
In 2026, in cooperation with Old Power and Kleio Thessaloniki, we will organize two Grand Prix tournaments:
- EGCA Espoo Grand Prix in Espoo, Finland from 25th to 27th September
Contact person: Erkki Miinala
Email: oldpowerespoo@gmail.com
WhatsApp: +358442912126 - EGCA Thessaloniki Grand Prix 2026 in Thessaloniki, Greece from 23rd to 25th October
Contact person: Meni Kessanopoulou
Email: menikessa@gmail.com
WhatsApp: +306972884154
REGISTRATION FOR THE TOURNAMENTS AND ENTRY FEE
You can register your club for participation here
Registration opens on March 24 and closes on May 25. You can register for both tournaments or just one using a single form. Any club from Europe may participate, provided it is an official member of EGCA. If your club is not yet an official member, you can quickly and easily register here.
A maximum of 8 teams will be accepted for each tournament. The host team and one additional club from the organizing country will automatically qualify. After that, teams will be accepted in order of registration, ensuring that initially only one club per country is selected.
The tournaments will start on Friday afternoon around 2 PM and end on Sunday afternoon around 2 PM.
The entry fee for both events is €210 per person, which includes:
- Participation in the tournament
- Local transportation between the airport and hotel, and between the hotel and the venue (if the distance exceeds 1.5 km)
- Meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch
- Hotel accommodation in twin or triple rooms from Friday to Sunday
ATHLETE REGULATIONS
The following athlete regulations are important to consider when registering a team for the Grand Prix tournaments:
(1) Athletes of any gender who comply with IBSA standards can participate;
(2) Teams can consist of women, men, or mixed players;
(3) A team must register a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 6 athletes for each EGCA Grand
Prix stage;
(4) Each EGCA Grand Prix stage is a separate tournament, and teams may participate in
each stage with different line-ups;
(5) Unclassified athletes (including sighted athletes) are allowed at an EGCA Grand Prix
stage;
(6) A maximum of 2 foreign athletes are allowed per EGCA Grand Prix stage. A foreign
athlete is defined as an athlete who does not permanently reside in or hold the nationality of
the country the team represents.
Attention: In cases of uncertainty, EGCA may request proof of residence from the athlete;
(7) A male athlete who is over 20 years old and has participated in the Champions League
stage during the same year is not eligible to participate in an EGCA Grand Prix stage;
(8) A male athlete who has represented his country at the IBSA European Championships
(A, B or C Division), World Championships or Paralympic Games within the last 2 years is
not eligible to participate in an EGCA Grand Prix stage without special permission. Special
permission must be requested from the EGCA Competition Committee, which will review
each case individually.
(9) Participation in the EGCA Grand Prix does not prevent an athlete from participating in the
Women’s Champions league or Youth Championships. Athletes may also participate in the
EGCA European Cup.
(10) Failure to comply with registration rules will result in a 10-0 forfeit of the game.
ESPOO TOURNAMENT
Old Power is one of the founding clubs of EGCA and has organized high-quality international club events in its home city of Espoo for over a decade, most recently the impressive Club World Championships in May 2025.
The EGCA Espoo Grand Prix 2026 tournament will be played at Leppävaara Sports Hall (Address: Veräjäpellonkatu 6, Espoo) from September 25 to 27. The venue offers excellent conditions for an international goalball tournament. Teams will enjoy playing on a very fast parquet floor, the hall has highly functional locker room facilities, and upstairs there is a café operated by the Old Power club. The Leppävaara Sports Hall has seating for nearly 500 spectators. The venue has hosted several Champions League tournaments as well as the Finnish Goalball League finals almost every year.
The tournament hotel is Comfort Hotel Sello (Address: Leppävaarankatu 1, Espoo). The hotel is located next to the large Sello shopping center, giving teams the opportunity to do some shopping during the tournament. The distance from the hotel to the venue is only 1.5 km, and it takes about 15 minutes to reach Helsinki Airport.
THESSALONIKI TOURNAMENT
Kleio Thessaloniki is organizing an EGCA tournament for the third consecutive year. In 2024, a Grand Prix tournament was held in the beautiful city of Thessaloniki, and last autumn the very first European Cup tournament took place there.
Teams participating in the Thessaloniki Grand Prix will enjoy excellent facilities. The venue is Mandoulides Schools Sports Hall (Address: 12th km Thessaloniki–Nea Moudania Road, 57001, Thermi, Thessaloniki). The same hall hosted the European Cup last November. It has a seating capacity of over 600 spectators, as well as good locker room and warm-up facilities. The hall is located just a 10-minute drive from Thessaloniki International Airport and a 15-minute drive from the official tournament hotel, Hotel Ambassador.
Hotel Ambassador has proven to be an excellent accommodation choice for teams and referees in previous international tournaments in Thessaloniki thanks to its great location, friendly and helpful staff, excellent food, and comfortable rooms—crowned by the hotel’s large swimming pool.