Southern Network News (Reporter/Liu Xiaoli Trainee Reporter/Chen Yunhao)"Left, left, left", "Feed, feed, feed", "7 meters! Beat! Beat! ”...... The shouts of the guides, the guidance of the goalkeepers, and the bells of football are like symphony in the blind football field of Qingyuan Citizen Sports Park. On April 13, with a whistle, Chen Weijian's Qingyuan team completed the last match of the 9th Guangdong Paralympic Games and achieved a good result as the runner-up. They are a group of wind-chasing teenagers in the dark world, even if they can't see it, they are still chasing the light.
Blind football is similar to futsal in that it consists of 4 blind players and 1 healthy goalkeeper, and there are six bells in the football, when the ball is rolling, the sound of the bell allows the players to judge the direction of the ball rolling, and the players will also make a sound on the field to judge the position of their teammates.
Chen Weijian (Photo by Chen Yunhao)
Life used to be dark, and football brought a ray of light
Chen Weijian, 25 years old this year, was born in Qingyuan, Guangdong, and was once very unhappy due to congenital blindness, and always had questions such as "why is the invisible person me". "When you want to go out and play, you need someone to lead you before you dare to move forward; After going out, I always feel that people on the road will look at me differently, and whisper on the side to guess whether I am blind or not. Many gossip and worldly gazes once caused Chen Weijian to fall into low self-esteem for a while.
In 2016, by chance, Chen Weijian attended a blind massage training course opened by the Qingyuan Disabled Persons' Federation, and it happened that a blind football coach was selecting athletes. "At first I didn't quite believe it, 'Can a blind man still play football?' Out of curiosity, Chen Weijian found the coach.
In the exchange with the coach, Chen Weijian asked many questions about how to play football, and also followed the coach to the blind football training base to experience how to play football. At that time, a thought rose in his mind: "Massage can be done for a lifetime, but football can not be played when you are old, you must play it while you are young!" In this way, Chen Weijian became a blind footballer.
But being a blind football player is not easy, when he first came into contact with football, Chen Weijian suffered injuries on his hands and legs, and even had the idea of giving up for a while. "Because I was still young, I didn't suffer much, and I didn't want to continue after returning home for a while." Later, under the guidance of his father and coach, Chen Weijian returned to the training base, continued to train hard with his teammates, and fell in love with the sport more and more in the process, and his life has been light ever since.
Blind footballer coming soon (Photo by Chen Yunhao)
Overcome fear and become the backbone of the team
Ball control, passing, set-pieces, running, every action Chen Weijian has practiced tens of thousands of times, and has also experienced countless run-ins with his teammates, constantly pursuing perfection in technology. Under the guidance of day after day practice and coach Xu Yufei, although Chen Weijian quickly became familiar with the rhythm of blind football, the fear in his heart once bothered him.
"Blind football needs to overcome the fear in the heart, because invisible, when running, the hand will unconsciously stretch forward, afraid of hitting the front; In addition, blind people have less contact with society, so their personality is always a little introverted or inferior, and when I first arrived in the team, I did not dare to speak, and I did not know how to communicate during the game. Chen Weijian said that it was the daily companionship and encouragement of the coaches and players that gave him the courage to overcome his fears.
Chen Weijian in the competition (Photo by Chen Yunhao)
At the 9th Guangdong Paralympic Games, Chen Weijian and his teammates won 4-0 against Dongguan on April 9. However, in the following day's match, they lost 1:2 to the favorites Zhanjiang.
Chen Weijian in the competition (Photo by Chen Yunhao)
In the face of failure, Chen Weijian still faces it with an optimistic attitude. As captain, he constantly directs his teammates to run during the game, calms the impatience of his teammates when he is behind, and reviews the game with everyone. "This game can play 7 to 8 points", after the match with Zhanjiang, Chen Weijian analyzed: "The good thing is that our tactical execution is relatively in place, it should be noted that we also made some mistakes, especially the second goal conceded, so that the goalkeeper judged the wrong direction..."
Chen Weijian, who has been in contact with blind football since 2016, has been fighting on the field for 7 years in a blink of an eye. From a teenager who is not good at talking, he has transformed into a confident man. "The biggest change that football has made me learn to be independent, how to deal with people, and it has also made me strong and brave in character." Chen Weijian said with a smile, "The goal this time is the top three, although I lost one game, but there is still a chance!" ”
Chen Weijian in the competition (Photo by Chen Yunhao)
Heart to the light, strive to achieve happiness small dreams
When Chen Weijian plays, his mother and wife will also come to the scene to cheer for him, and after the game, his mother and wife will send Chen Weijian the warmth of family for the first time, whether it is winning or losing, the company of family is the most important thing for Chen Weijian.
Adjust and relax after the game and resume the game with teammates (Photo by Chen Yunhao)
While focusing on the competition, Chen Wei also has his own life plan. He hopes to open a massage parlor after retiring. "Because I will retire someday, I hope to open a massage parlor with my family so that the family can live together every day."
The medal on his neck is a testimony of Chen Weijian's journey along the way, and it also draws a beautiful end to his journey to the Provincial Paralympic Games. Blind footballers need to sweat more than able-bodied people to gain something. In Chen Weijian's world, although the eyes are dark, as long as the heart is towards the light, you can chase the light in the dark world.
Group photo after the game, bottom left second is Chen Weijian (photo provided by interviewee)