A HEREFORD paralympic hopeful is set to represent Great Britain at IBSA World Games.

Antonia Bunyan, a visually impaired athlete from Hereford, is set to take on competitors from around the globe as a member of team GB in the highly competitive paralympic sport of goalball at the ISBA World Games in Coventry later this month.

Goalball is a team sport specifically designed for blind and visually impaired people where the aim is to throw a ball that has bells embedded inside of it into the opponents' goal. The sport is intensely challenging and requires keen athletic ability to succeed.

Miss Bunyan began her goalball career in 2011 and competed in her first international tournament at the age of 15. Career highlights so far include being selected for world qualifiers in the USA and placing third at the Youth World Championships in 2019 in Australia.

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Her talent and dedication has garnered widespread admiration and recognition around the world, with success in the upcoming ISBA world games believed be the next step towards Miss Bunyan qualifying for the 2024 paralympics.

After a challenging year following an injury, Miss Bunyan is eager to return to the sport and represent not only the county, but the country.

“I feel honoured and overwhelmed to have been given another opportunity to represent my country in a major championship. Especially as this will be my first ever home games.” She said, going on to add “I would also like to say a huge thank you to the Royal National College for the Blind and the Point4 gym in Hereford, both these organisations have provided me with the facilities to train alongside a career in teaching massage.”

If you would like to support Antonia Bunyan and the rest of team GB, tickets are now available for the games at https://www.ibsagames2023.co.uk/tickets/