The 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou will be held from October 22 to 28 at the Canal Sports Park Stadium in Gongshu District, Hangzhou. A few days ago, the reporter came to the training site of the Chinese blind football team to explore their preparations.
The Chinese blind football team is fully prepared for the Asian Para Games
Training on the field is the Chinese blind soccer team, which comes from five different provinces and has an average age of just 28. The reporter learned that unlike regular football games, each team of blind football is a five-a-side system, and except for the goalkeeper, the remaining 4 players are visually disabled. They judge the position of the ball by the sounds made by the special football, and there are guides off the field to assist them in attacking.
Wang Guishun, coach of the blind football program of the Chinese delegation to the Asian Para Games: There is only one level of our blind football program, that is, the B1 level where both eyes are completely blind. For the Asian Para Games, some technical and tactical training was done in a targeted manner, improving the speed of breakthrough, enriching some offensive routes, and increasing some passes and catches to threatening points.
In addition to developing a special training plan, the doctoral team of Beijing Sport University also participated in their training for the first time. Through the real-time exercise load monitoring system, the athletes' heart rate, running distance and speed are collected, and scientific and reasonable physical training and rehabilitation training are arranged for the players.
Guo Ruibin, a doctoral candidate at the School of Physical Training of Beijing Sport University: Maybe he just came up to train today, and his heart rate may be relatively high, so you can consider whether he was tired yesterday.
In order to ensure that athletes have sufficient physical fitness during training, the Fujian Provincial Sports Management Center for the Disabled has also formulated scientific and nutritious recipes for athletes. In addition to training, cultural and entertainment activities such as gala were carefully organized to let the team members relax their minds and welcome the Asian Para Games in the best condition.
Yu Yuyong, a blind football athlete of the Chinese delegation at the Asian Para Games: Make sure you have a better physical condition to cope with training and competitions.
Wang Guishun, coach of the blind football program of the Chinese delegation of the Asian Para Games: Seriously play every game and strive for the best results as possible.
Liu Meng: Football is a light in my dark world
The boy who was running on the court was Liu Meng. Due to congenital keratitis, he completely lost his vision before the age of 13. During his studies at the Kunming City School for the Blind, Liu Meng and his companions often kicked mineral water bottles that could make noise, but they unexpectedly started his football career.
Liu Meng, Chinese team blind football athlete of the Asian Para Games: The teacher of the Kunming School for the Blind, he said that since you are so fun-loving, he will take us with him. In 2009, I was seen by the coach of the Yunnan team, and then he brought me into the Yunnan provincial team to start playing.
Wang Guishun, coach of the blind football program of the Chinese delegation at the Asian Para Games: I found that his overall physical fitness was relatively excellent, and after training, I found that he was particularly sensitive to hearing. The feeling of the whole ball, the defensive position, is particularly good, and he was selected for the national team in 2014.
The biggest difference between blind people playing football and able-bodied people is that the judgment of football, teammates and their own position depends entirely on the ear to "listen". Blind football skill training is even more difficult, every movement guided by the coach, from thighs, calves to instep, joints, how to exert force, how to control the angle, etc., Liu Meng and his teammates have to rely on their hands to perceive, in every inch of groping to learn, a simple action often needs to be repeated thousands of times, injuries are commonplace.
Liu Meng, a blind soccer athlete of the Chinese delegation at the Asian Para Games: Because I can't see, I can't let go of running on the field, let alone grab the ball. You have to find your teammates, you have to find the ball, and you have to find the voice of the coach and the guide. How to overcome psychological barriers may be the biggest difficulty in blind football.
Liu Meng, who plays the role of central defender in the team and is the last barrier in defense, says the responsibility on his shoulders is heavy. To this end, he added a lot of extra training to himself.
From 2009 to 2014, when he joined the national team, Liu Meng has experienced hundreds of battles, and he and his teammates have participated in international competitions such as the Olympic Games, Asian Games, and Asian Cup. For Liu Meng, football has become an indispensable part of his life, and the journey of chasing his dream has lit up the wonderfulness of his life.
Liu Meng, Chinese blind football athlete of the Asian Para Games: For me, football can be said to be a light in my life, I have coaches, I have teammates, and I can win glory for the country. It took me out into the world and it allowed me to see a lot of things that I might never have seen in my life without playing football.
(CCTV reporter Gao Chenyuan, Ma Ning, Wang Mill, Chen Xuanyang, Lai Junlin)
Source: CCTV News Client