Blind Soccer Championship @ Yoyogi: N0v. 18,2014

I had not had the opportunity to see the sports games played by disabled people. Today, I watched the World Blind Soccer Championship.

The event was held in Yoyogi near Shibuya. The match was between Japan and Morocco. 

Each team has four players without view and anon-blind goal keeper. Is also has a guide, who makes noises to show the directions. The ball makes noises when it moves.

The movements of the players were unbelievable. They dribble the ball very well. They shot the ball exactly to the direction of the goals.

I found the communications were essentially important. The goal keeper, the guides and the coaches sent directions to the field players.  

I sometimes forgot that they are blind. 

I was moved and learned a lot from them. Thank you !

Interesting attractions -– fake Michael Jackson and his team’s songs and dances – were played during the interval. 

The makeshift stadium was crowded with both Japanese and foreigners, mainly from the countries which participated in the event.

The championship and the Paralympics are the two major events in the world level.

More attentions are being paid to the sports played by the disabled partly because of the Paralympics in 2020 in Tokyo. I hope this trend will grow.