THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While Kochi is going all excited about the Indian Soccer League, a different kind of game took place at the skating ground of the Regional Sports Centre (RSC). This was a blind football exhibition match. Each team consisted of five members: four outfield players and a goalkeeper. All of them were wearing head bands, knee caps and ankle caps. This was to ensure that they did not suffer any injury. They have been receiving training from the coach Sunil J. Mathew. Incidentally, there is no age limit for the players.
Blind football has its own rules and regulations. Unlike the usual matches, they have no off sides or throws from the sidelines. This ensures non-stop action. The matches are played over two halves of 25 minutes each, with an interval of 10 minutes. Most of the players use dribbles and short passes. Each team has corresponding instructors who stand behind the opposite team’s goal post to direct the players. The game is usually played in indoor stadiums. The crowds have to remain silent during the play. This is to ensure that the players are able to locate the ball easily.
The ball has a noise-making device. “This ensures that the players can hear and locate it,” said Rajan M.V., one of the coaches. The outfield players, who are partially or fully blind, are blindfolded, to ensure a fair game. However, the goal keeper will not be fully blind. Instead, he is partially or fully sighted.
The match was played in an area of 40m x 20m, bounded by rebound walls. A blind football team was set up by Sunil in 2013. They tasted success when they became the runner up in the IBSA Blind Football championships at New Delhi in 2013.
The match, at the RSC, was organised by the Society for Rehabilitation of the Visually Challenged (SRVC) and the Indian Blind Sports Association (IBSA), and co-sponsored by Round Table 71. This game was held prior to a week-long training camp.
The team, comprising of national level players like M.S Renjith, Aneesh and Noufal T.N., will be taking part in the six-nation invitational tournament at Hong Kong between December 14-18.