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2024 Paris Paralympics
I Am Hooked on Blind Soccer at the 2024 Paris Paralympics
There is still time for you to enjoy the sports of the Paralympics
The Paralympics are the equivalent of the Olympic games for people with disabilities. Just as there are Summer and Winter Olympics, there are Summer and Winter Paralympics. Recently, the Paralympics followed closely behind the Olympics using the Olympic venues.
Currently, the 2024 Paris Paralympics are being shown on Peacock, the same station that broadcasts the Olympics. The Paralympics are just as exciting and uplifting as the Olympics.
One of my favorite sports is Blind Soccer. Like all Blind Sports, the International Blind Sports Association, or IBSA, sanctions it. There are lots of sports for the visually impaired, like blind goalball, golf, swimming, baseball, and cricket. Many of them are being showcased at the Paralympics.
In Blind Soccer, all the players have some level of vision disability. Even though they have a disability, the players must wear blindfolds to ensure they cannot see. The ball has a chime so players can hear where it is located.
“Each team consists of four movement players (all of whom are blind and must wear a mask) and a goalkeeper (sighted or visually impaired), who must remain in his own 2-meter-deep area, but can guide his teammates by giving directions when defending.
When playing in attack, however, the movement players receive directions from an offensive guide who is himself sighted and is behind the opponent’s goal. When the ball is in midfield, the coach can give directions to his team. Unlike traditional soccer, there’s no offside penalty, which keeps the game moving briskly.“ wired.com, How Blind Soccer Is Played at the 2024 Olympics
It amazes me how the fans cooperate with the players. Once the start whistle is blown, no one except the sighted members of each team speaks so that all players can hear the ball. The stadium is silent.
If you think that athleticism, speed, and skill are not involved in playing this game, you are wrong.
The games are as thrilling as a sighted soccer game. To add to the pressure, time…
