From afar, it looked like a regular five-a-side football game. But on moving closer, one found the players moving around with eye masks, beneath which were eye patches, making them completely blind, led solely by the sound of the ball that jingled as it rolled around.
For many who watched an exhibition game of the Indian women’s blind football team at Gamma football turf at Chilavannoor, it was their first time. Among them were Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, State government’s officer on special duty for external cooperation Venu Rajamony and actor Sijoy Varghese.
The Indian women’s blind football team is all set to participate in the eight-team IBSA World Games set to get under way at the University of Birmingham from August 14 to 21. When India takes on Austria in the first match on August 14, history will be made as an Indian women’s team will be participating in a world championship for the first time.
