A HEREFORD student finished top goal scorer as his side create club history when they took victory in the prestigious Malmö Open

Royal National College for the Blind pupil Joe Roper played a key role helping Fen Tigers Goalball Club win the gold medal at the prestigious European para-sport competition in goalball.

Goalball is a Paralympic team sport for visually impaired athletes which is played using an audible ball and tactile markings on the floor. All players also wear eyeshades to ensure an even playing field.

Each team has a maximum of six players each, with three players being on court at any one time. The object of the game is to score a goal by throwing the ball so that it crosses the goal line of the opposing team.

The Malmö Open took place earlier this month and was attended by more than 2,000 para-athletes from 25 countries.

Getting off to a flying start, Fen Tigers topped their group winning all six games. The run included an impressive 13-7 win over tournament favourites Rostock from Germany.

In the quarter-finals, Fen Tigers knocked out last year’s gold medallists, the Swedish side Linkopings 9-3, in what was a repeat of the 2018 final.

The semi-final saw the Cambridgeshire club record another convincing 9-3 victory, this time over Finland’s Old Power.

In a close fought and tense final, Fen Tigers took an early lead and defended courageously to overcome the Serbian side GK NAIS 2-1 to claim the gold medal for the first time in the club’s history.

Roper also finished as the top goal scorer for the competition, finding the net an impressive 30 times.

In the Fen Tigers squad alongside Joe was brother Dom and Dan Roper, Marc Powell and Georgie Bullen. The team was coached by Emma Evans.

Following the tournament, Roper said: “It was an incredible experience to come to Malmö and win the gold medal. We came up against some incredibly difficult opposition, so to come out on top in each game is an amazing achievement.

“On a personal level it was fantastic to finish top goal scorer, but that was only made possible by the support of my excellent teammates.”

Speaking about the tournament, coach Evans added: “I am immensely proud of the team, they genuinely deserve the success. After claiming the silver medal last year, we were determined to go one better and bring gold back to the UK this year.

“The performances of each member of the squad was incredible. They formed a dauntingly solid unit in defence, whilst their attack was emphatic. The accuracy and successful execution of game plan was a joy to watch, it was a real testament to working as a team.

“We are now hoping to try and raise funds to enable us to travel in 2020 to defend our title.”