For blind superstar, football makes life colorful
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Wang (in red) and Japanese players vie for the ball in the opening game of the five-a-side football tournament at the Asian Para Games on December 13, 2010. China beat Japan 3-0.[Xinhua] |
Wang Zhoubin is the most famous player in the Chinese Paralympic five-a-side football team. The Chinese captain is in the spotlight again after scoring twice in the opening match at the Asian Para Games.
Born in 1989, the Fujian native first showed an interest in goalball while studying at a special school for the disabled. But it was hearing about football superstars like Ronaldo and David Beckham that turned him into a fanatical football fan.
In 2007, he led his team to second place at the 7th National Games for the Disabled. The talent he displayed in the tournament won him a place in the national team.
One year later, Wang delighted Chinese fans with his goals in his Paralympic debut in Beijing, but the team had to settle for a silver medal after losing to defending champions Brazil in the final.
Wang still remembers his fear when he first tried to kick a ball five years ago. "I dared not run and I dared not kick because I was afraid of colliding and falling over," recalled Wang. The teenager had not run since losing his eyesight at the age of nine in a fire cracker accident.
"To be frank, I wondered how we could play football if we couldn't see the ball, when I first heard that the local [disabled persons'] federation was promoting football among blind people."
But Wang became enthralled with the game while listening to radio broadcasts of the World Cup. He was particularly enchanted by David Beckham's brilliant free-kicks. "I wished I could play like him," said Wang. But the first step he needed to take was to learn to run again. "Blind people can run well as long as they get rid of mental barriers," said Lu Shangji, one of the managers of the Chinese blind people's football team.
After a couple of days training, Wang started to run again. "That moment was so amazing, because I had almost forgotten what it was like to run as fast as I can," said Wang.
Wang mastered his early fear of running and became a super star on the pitch. "Collisions are inevitable on the pitch," he said. "But injuries count for nothing compared to the happiness the game gives me."
"I feel like a super star at the World Cup every time I shoot, score and celebrate with my teammates. Football has painted my world in bright colors. It is much more than a sport to me."
To Wang, stepping onto the football pitch is a like stepping into a different world. "I really come to life on the pitch," said Wang, who always keeps his goals in mind and moves towards them steadily. "If you take it step by step, you'll find there's no mountain you can't climb."
Wang's next big tournament will be London Paralympics in 2012. And his goal is a gold medal.
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Wang celebrates with Chinese goalkeeper Niu Lei after scoring a goal in the opening game of the five-a-side football tournament at the Asian Para Games on December 13, 2010. China beat Japan 3-0. [Xinhua] |
