Blind football is a dynamic discipline for visually impaired athletes. It is played with a ball that makes a sound and two teams of 5 players each participate.
Players receive verbal instructions from the goalkeeper, coach and guide. The IBSA International Federation determined two disciplines: blind football, for B1 class athletes, and football for athletes with low vision, which are classified as B2 and B3. The two groups compete separately. However, to ensure fair competition, all outfield players must wear eyeshades.
The matches consist of two halves of 15 minutes duration, plus ten minutes of rest between the two. In the event of a tie, the teams will play a penalty shootout to decide the winning team. The public must remain silent throughout the match, to allow both teams to hear the sound ball, the “voy” and the orientations of the guides. Shouting and clapping are only allowed when a goal is scored.
The debut of the Asian teams in Paris 2024 will begin with Japan, one of the world’s favorites, who are in Group B and will face Colombia. Then by the People’s Republic of China, from Group A, with France as the opponent.
Ryo Kawamura is one of the outstanding players in Paris 2024. Although he did not play blind football as a child, he started playing in 2007, only 6 years after the sport arrived in Japan. In 2017, he debuted for the country’s national team and since then he has been one of the most outstanding.
The player considers sound to be all the information you have when playing, so they stay attentive and make decisions on the fly. Because it is a practically new sport, they must raise their standards of play to reach the level of the other teams, something that is achieved with daily work. Kawamura has the focus on scoring goals himself, which would lead his team to victory.
On the People’s Republic of China team, Zhu Ruiming will have another opportunity to win a medal for his team and get on the winner’s podium, as they came close to taking bronze at Tokyo 2020.
From September 1 to 7, both teams will fight for the medal in Paris 2024, at the Eiffel Tower Stadium.
