EGYPT-BLIND SOCCER Blind footballers hope to represent Egypt in tournaments

Record ID: 145318

  • Title: EGYPT-BLIND SOCCER Blind footballers hope to represent Egypt in tournaments
  • Date: 2nd August 2015
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) BLIND TEAM KICKING OFF, PLAYING BLIND SOCCER PLAYER WARMING UP BLIND SOCCER GAME UNDERWAY PENALTY SHOT BY BLIND SOCCER PLAYER VARIOUS OF BLIND SOCCER PLAYERS WARMING UP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FOUNDER OF BLIND FOOTBALL EGYPT, ALY ABU AL NASR, SAYING: "The game relies mostly on hearing. The ball has a bell inside. As the activity increase
  • Embargoed: 17th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA91KTJP5TQC10B96NC42UYBKAJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: At an Astroturf pitch in the Egyptian capital Cairo, one group of young men are playing soccer with a difference - they can't see.
    Soccer is immensely popular in the north African country, but this version is slightly different.
    Football agent Aly Abu Nasr, the founder of Blind Football Egypt, says the sport is adapted for the blind.
    "The game relies mostly on hearing. The ball has a bell inside. As the activity increases and decreases the sound becomes louder and quieter. The game is all dependent on the sound. It differs from standard soccer because it is 5-aside and not a side. Also there are not a lot of passes in the game, it's more dependent on individual skill," he said.
    The team are training hard and hoping to eventually represent their country in Paralympic tournaments.
    This year the International Blind Football Association (IBSA) is hosting the second ever Blind Football African Championships, which will be held in Cameroon.
    Sherif Badawy, a player for Blind Football Egypt, says they are receiving help and support in their bid to hit the international stage.
    "There are various authorities that support us such as the blind football association which is helping us to reach the October African Championship in Cameroon. Also the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Football Association," he said.
    The players are guided by the hearing the ball and the voices of other players, as well as two coaches - one on the sideline and the other behind the goal.
    The players click their fingers to locate each other, while opponents must shout the word 'voy' before going for a tackle.
    As Abu Nasr explains though, not all the players on the team are blind.
    "It's mainly for the blind but the problem is that people believe that the whole team is blind but the goalkeeper is not visually impaired. There are four blind players in the team and the goalkeeper is able to see, against another team of the same."
    Although the team are aspiring to represent their country in an international tournament, most began playing the beautiful game in far less glamorous circumstances.
    Footballer Mostafa Abdel Rahman says playing football always came with risks.
    "When we were in school we used to place the ball in a plastic bag to hear where it is. We have a great passion for soccer although we face a high risk because we cannot see each other. Sometimes we get injured just like normal soccer but there is an added risk because we cannot see each other until we joined Blind Football which has it's own rules," he said.
    The IBSA website says blind soccer has become one of the most popular sports for people with visual impairments worldwide.
    The African Blind Football Championships, takes place from October 15-25 in Douala, Cameroon.
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