Belgium crowned European Kin-Ball champions
Both the men's and women's national teams reached the top of the podium in this little-known team sport.
Today, four million people around the world play Kin-Ball, a sporting discipline created in Quebec in 1986. This sport is played on a 20 m square court, with three teams of four players competing for a huge ball measuring 1.22 m in diameter and weighing just 1 kg.
Cooperation is crucial in a Kin-Ball game, as no one, not even the most successful player, can avoid needing the participation of their partners. The rules of this sport require the whole team to be involved in every phase of the game, since every player on the team must have body contact with the ball each time it is thrown.
The aim is to serve the gigantic ball by naming the team with the most points on the scoreboard, so that they are unable to catch it before it hits the ground. When a foul is committed, the other two teams each score a point. If there is no foul, play continues and the team that received the ball re-serves it, making sure they designate one of the other two teams.
At the last European Cup, held in Jaén, Spain, the Belgians came out on top.
The men beat France and Spain 4-3-2 in the final. The women won 4-3-1 against the Czech Republic and France.
Belgium's two national teams now have their sights set on the upcoming 2024 World Cup in South Korea.