Quzhou athlete helps China win goalball gold at Asian Para Games

Qiu Hong, an athlete from Quzhou, Zhejiang province, helped China's women's goalball team win gold at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games in Japan.

China beat Japan 2-0 in the final, with Qiu and her teammates showing strong coordination in attack and defense. It was Qiu's first appearance at the Asian Para Games.

Goalball is a team sport for athletes with visual impairments. Players wear opaque eyeshades and rely on bells inside the ball to locate it by sound. The sport requires keen hearing, quick reactions, and close teamwork.

Qiu Hong competes in a goalball match. [Photo/WeChat account: kechengfabu]

Born in Quzhou's Kecheng district in 2008, Qiu began goalball training in August 2023 and joined the national women's team in October 2025. She helped China win the Asia-Pacific Goalball Championships that year and claimed another title at the National Goalball Championships in July 2026.

The Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games were held in Nagoya, Japan, from Oct 18 to 24, featuring 18 sports and attracting around 4,000 athletes and team officials from 45 countries and regions.

China sent 312 athletes to compete in 17 of the 18 sports and won 207 gold, 117 silver, and 111 bronze medals, for a total of 435.