Being blind never stopped football

By MICHAEL ORIEDOMen and women have immeasurable abilities. They have gone to the moon, developed nuclear energy, discovered oil (in Turkana), created humanoids, Facebook and, who knows, they may build a second earth where only the righteous will live and flourish.With such immense innovations, life for humanity has improved. For the physically challenged, new inventions have helped them lead ‘normal’ lives and participate in various activities that they would never have, among them football.Yes, there is soccer for the visually impaired and it is as entertaining and inspirational as mainstream football.Eye shieldsThe game involves ten players who are legally blind, except for the goalkeeper, who can be blind or sighted."There are five on each side-a goalie and four outfield players. The goalkeeper can be sighted or visually impaired and must stay in his designated goalie box," explains kottke.org.The players, except the goalkeeper, wear eye shields. This is to eliminate competitive advantage from players who may have limited vision over those who are completely blind.In the game, there are no throw-ins because the pitch, which is smaller in size and is surrounded by a wall, allows the ball to bounce back in the field.The ball contains pebbles or ball bearings, which make a rattling noise when it is in motion."The bearings make it easier for players to locate the ball and kick it," reports BBC. As they play, players have to call each other either by name or by shouting a word they agreed as teammates. And while seeking to tackle another player to ‘steal’ the ball, one must shout "voy!" which is a Spanish word for "I’m here!""Players must discern the voice of their teammates and have a sense of where the ball is in relation to the goal," says kottke.org.FootworkThe game’s playing style is also unique. Players ensure passes cover a short distance to avoid losing the ball and there is a lot of dribbling."Players try not to let the ball stray more than a few inches from their feet, making nimble footwork and a command of the ball vital," defender Keryn Seal, who plays for England’s blind soccer team, told BBC."There’s a lot more dribbling and close control than in a sighted game. Communication is very important among the players too. It’s about speed of movement — you only have about two or three seconds to react to any situation," team captain David Clarke, who has scored 108 goals in an international career, added.SilenceAnd as a player approaches the goal with the ball, there is a guide behind the goal who will direct him when to shoot.Whereas in conventional football cheering, chanting and blowing vuvuzelas is part of the game, silence is golden in this version of football."Etiquette dictates that spectators remain quiet unless the ball goes out of play because players need to be able to hear each other and, crucially, the ball," says BBC.The game has its own World Cup editions after every four years. The last one took place in England in 2010 featuring ten teams.Interestingly, ‘big boys’ that dominate conventional soccer still rule this specialised sport. These include Brazil, Argentina, England, Spain and France. Brazil won the 2010 games after defeating Spain two-nil.England’s blind soccer team manager Tony Larkin says the physically impaired should take part in sports to help them socialise and be physically fit."I think everybody should be involved in sport-especially blind people because it helps them build confidence and it will reduce obesity rates among the blind. It will also make them interact with others."

Being blind never stopped football

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