Sunday, May 20, 2007
Sports Heaven: Installment 2 (Blind Soccer!)
Saturday was the end of China's National Handicapped Games, held here. It was hard to find games, but I made it to Blind Soccer and shot some crummy video with my digital camera. These kids are amazing! The game is played on a smaller pitch, maybe half the size of a full field. The players all wear blindfolds because some of them have a little bit of sight. The goalies can see. All of the players yell "Wei! Wei!" all the time so that their teammates know where they are. The ball makes a rattling sound when it moves, and there is someone behind the goal constantly hitting it with a stick so that the goal makes a ringing sound and the players can find it. The field is bounded by a blue wall to help the players feel their way around.
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2 comments:
Someday I will surely lose my sight. Is that when my athletic ability is going to kick in?
This is so totally cool. I don't what it is about the blind and Asia, but there seem to be more extensive opportunities for them to lead public lives compared to the U.S. When I was in Cambodia, I visited a school for the blind that focused on job training. During my two weeks in the country, I came across a blind cafe manager, grocery store clerk, and several massage shops with blind therapists. Hmmm...you think land mines have anything to do with that?
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