TWO Hampshire brothers have helped Team GB to victory in the European championship of a disabled sport.

Adam and David Knott, of Valley Park in Chandler’s Ford, netted 17 goals each at the European Goalball Championship in Malmo, Sweden.

They both secured themselves a place in the top five ranked goal scorers for the whole tournament and the team went on to win 6-5 in the final against Russia.

The sport, in which players are blindfolded, was originally developed to rehabilitate soldiers after World War Two.

It has seen a surge in popularity after the London 2012 Olympics – which the brothers, who have oculocutaneous albinism and are registered as visually-impaired, competed in as paralympians.

David, 17, a student at Peter Symonds College in Winchester, said: “The atmosphere in the hall was incredible. I could hear the spectators celebrating that final goal so those final seconds waiting for the referee to confirm it seemed to last forever.”

Adam, 20, who studies music at Southampton University, said: “To beat Russia in the final and right at the last minute in sudden death, was above and beyond what we expected.”

Their mother, Bridget, lets the whole squad stay at their home while they train at Peter Symonds College, which is now the training ground for the GB team and the Winchester Goalball Club which Adam founded in 2013.

Last year it won the national league and was recently named club of the year by Winchester City Council.

Ms Knott says she is proud of the whole team.

“When Adam and David first discovered Goalball, we couldn’t have guessed how much our lives would change,” she said.

“The boys found something at which they could excel and I found a whole new team of sons.

“Seeing them compete internationally was not something we ever expected considering their disability, so to celebrate with them at Malmo was just incredible.”

Mike Reilly, chief executive of Goalball UK, said: “With a young team, most of the goal scorers were between 17 and 24, our success is an indicator of what’s to come for Team GB. London 2012 was a watershed moment for Goalball but the team’s success at Malmo just goes to show that everyone involved, from coaches and volunteers to players and their families, are focused on driving the sport forward and establishing Team GB as the ones to be beaten.”

The victory means the UK men’s team has now joined the European B League and is the first step towards Tokyo 2020.