October 25, 2007
By HEATHER APPEL, The Associated Press
TOKYO _ Seven teams from around the world met here this month to crown the first champion of Power Soccer.
Known as powerchair football (outside the U.S.), the co-ed, multi-generational sport is played by people ages 13 to 50 in motorized wheelchairs.
The international powerchair football association, FIPFA, has been meeting for the past two years to develop international rules for the game, culminating in last weekend's tournament.
Organizers are already looking ahead to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, where they hope to hold another Power Soccer World Cup event; and the upcoming Paralympics, with the goal of an exhibition at the London Games in 2012.
The first World Cup included teams from Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Japan, Portugal and the United States, plus a delegation from Canada. In this asap video, HEATHER APPEL follows the U.S. team through the tourney.
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Watch the video here: http://asap.ap.org/data/interactives/_sports/powersoccer/
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asap contributor Heather Appel is a freelance videographer based in New York.
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