Blind football squad up and running despite injury woes
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian blind football team is set to make the country proud at the 9th Asean Para Games today.
It was a rocky journey to the Games as half the team members were severely injured as recently as June.
“It’s difficult to deal with injuries, especially in June, with the Games just around the corner,” said coach Sunny Shalesh.
“But thanks to the National Sports Institute, the boys have been rehabilitated and are now in peak condition.”
The team was upgraded to fulltime national team status by the Malaysian Sports Council in February, a promotion that includes additional training time, medical services, and most importantly, a salary.
Before that, they were a part-time team, travelling to KL from across the country to train on weekends, and dependent on private sponsors like the CIMB Foundation.
Now, they’re wholly focused on winning gold at the Asean Para Games, and reaching the Blind Football World Championships 2018.
Their journey is being documented by The Star’s award-winning R.AGE team, with support from CIMB Foundation, in preparation for a feature-length documentary film.
The film, titled Eye On The Ball, is being directed by award-winning filmmaker and R.AGE producer Chen Yih Wen, and co-produced by award-winning producer Nandita Solomon. It’s slated for a 2018 release.
“We’ve been following the boys for over a year now, and we’ve been astounded by how incredible their stories are,” said R.AGE deputy executive editor and producer Ian Yee.
“Most of them come from underprivileged backgrounds, brought together by an amazing coach, and the sport has given them a chance at a better life.
“That’s why we want to put their story in cinemas, so all Malaysians can experience it.”
The film has already attracted interest from around the world. It was selected for pitching and additional development at international platforms like the 2016 Asian Side of the Doc, Bangkok.
Most recently, it was selected to be part of the prestigious International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam (IDFA)’s fourday training workshop, IDF-Academy.