Despite China's public struggle to become a global contender in the sport of soccer, there is one national team that has distinguished itself in its category – all while remaining essentially unknown to the public.
At the Rio Paralympics' five-a-side contests, Team China beat Spain and Mexico in the first two group matches, forging its way to the semi-finals. The team ultimately failed 1:2 to beat Brazil to enter the finals, and then lost bronze to Argentina on Sept. 18. However, despite their fourth place finish, the team nevertheless offers a very inspiring story.
Established in 2006, the team debuted at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008, winning a silver medal. They won third place in the 2010 IBSA World Blind Football Championship, and they emerged as victors in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Wang Yafeng, the team leader, won the title of "Best Player" in the 2010 IBSA World Blind Football Championship.
Also known as "futsal" and blind football, five-a-side soccer is an adaptation of the game for athletes who are visually impaired. Different from normal soccer, the ball is equipped with a noise-making device, allowing players to locate it by sound.
To prepare for the Beijing Paralympics in 2008, China established its first blind football team. The original coaches and players had little experience with the sport, but gamely started from scratch.
"The coaching team in the beginning learned about the sport from watching videos of powerful soccer teams, including that of Spain," said Zou Hongmou, the team's head coach.
Wang, who is now participating in his third Paralympics, said he was originally surprised that he could use his ears to play: "I never imagined that blind people could play soccer. I was surprised and also happy that there is a sport for people like us," he said.
With the specially-made ball, players can accurately pass the ball and perform mesmerizing tricks with their feet. However, they do need a sixth player to guide them toward the goal. That person is positioned off the pitch, and participates only by directing the other players. Another interesting facet of the game is that etiquette dictates spectators remain quiet unless the ball goes out of bounds, because players need to be able to hear each other and the ball.
To help blind athletes learn to play, coaches encourage them to feel their bodies as they perform the movements.
"How can blind people learn to play soccer? The answer is just to practice as hard as they can -- practice over and over again," said the team's former coach, Dong Junjie.
"Visual impairment makes teaching the steps more difficult. It takes a blind person three to four years to learn the movement of dragging the ball by touching and feeling his or her body," said Zhang Jian, the coach of a youth blind football team in Shaanxi province.
What's more, the players have to wear helmets to protect themselves from collisions, and they must shout in order to notify others of their presence. But despite these extra precautions, blind players are still at an elevated risk of injury.
"As they cannot see each other, they are more prone to making overly aggressive movements while fighting for the ball, " said Zhang.
"What made the team successful in the Rio Paralympics was their unyielding perseverance and faith, which easily outweighed that of regular, sighted people," Dong added.
