The IBSA Blind Football World Grand Prix is the idea of the Japan Blind Football Association and is due to take place in Tokyo next year from March 18 until 25. 

The event will consist of two separate tournaments - an elite category for six national teams placed in the top 16 of the IBSA Blind Football ranking table and a development tournament for four teams sitting outside the top 16.

The elite event will provide an opportunity for the world's best teams to play against each other just three months before the biggest tournament of the year - the IBSA Blind Football World Championships in Madrid in June 2018. 

Football 5-a-side featured at the Paralympics for the first time at Athens 2004 and has been contested at every Games since. 

Brazil have won the gold medal at every Paralympics.

World Championships take place every four years in between the Paralympics.

The new development tournament will offer up-and-coming teams the chance to face teams around their own level, as well as share an event with the world's best blind footballers, it is claimed. 

Hosts Japan will field a team in both tournaments - its full national team in the elite event and a development squad in the second tournament - leaving five slots free in the elite competition and three in the development event.

As the IBSA Blind Football WGP is an officially-sanctioned event, all participating countries must be IBSA members in good standing.

Teams have until October 31 to express their interest in competing in the event.