Partially sighted and blind football fans can now get more enjoyment from sporting matches hosted at Tbilisi's Dinamo Arena thanks to a new audio-descriptive commentary system, presented by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of Georgia.

The new service will allow partially sighted and blind fans to receive an audio description of the match they are attending.

To find out more about audio-descriptive commentary, please click here.

Specially trained commentators will narrate the play and describe the atmosphere in the stadium through an audio system reaching partially sighted and blind people via their personal mobile devices and headphones.

The commentary will include details like physical descriptions and facial expressions, to recreate the full experience for listeners.

The broadcast covers the entire football stadium, meaning listeners can sit anywhere in the stadium and receive this inclusive service.

The new system was first used at Dinamo Arena during the UEFA Champions League qualifying round match between Dinamo Tbilisi and Armenian club Alashkert FC.

Through cooperation between the Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE) and Georgia's Ministry of Sport, the new service was also tested before the match by a selected group of partially sighted and blind individuals.

CAFE has previously collaborated with UEFA and FIFA in implementing audio commentary at major tournaments such including UEFA EURO 2012 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The service was also available at every match during the recent UEFA EURO 2016 tournament in France.

Published 14/07/2016