Thinking of athletes and doing sports, we always imagine someone who is in the best condition. They’ve got great hand eye coordination, a healthy body, and lots of stamina. But what if I told you that we actually have a team of visually impaired football players? Yes we do and they’ve actually been given the nickname of Harimau Buta.
The Star’s R.AGE team has been following the team of visually impaired football players. They have been documenting their stories, the journey, struggles, and victories in this sport. Harimau Buta has gone against expectations and are proving that you can overcome any challenge.
In an effort to help bring them support, the Star’s R.AGE has organised the Eye on the Ball: Bola Buta Challenge. It is a free event that is open to the public on the 12th of October at Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
The aim here is to raise awareness for the blind football community here in Malaysia. Make sure to invite your friends and family to help support our team. Anyone brave enough can also try out a game of blind football with the Harimau Buta team.
Eye on the Ball: Bola Buta Challenge will kick off at 9AM with a celebrity blind football match. So far, celebrities such as JinnyBoy, Harith Iskandar, Marianne Tan, and Ummi Nazeera will be participating.
In an interview with Star, JinnyBoy expressed his hope that everybody will come to the event. He hopes that everyone there will try and understand where the blind players are coming from.
“Being there shows at least some emotional support so the team knows there are people who are there for them. The idea is to give them some hope. The boys are fighting so hard, giving them some encouragement is the least I can do.”
After the celebrity match, the public is invited to join in on the blind football friendly games. Do you dare challenge yourself to play football with a blindfold on? Maybe you can encourage a friend to try it out.
It’s definitely a way to experience and truly understand the struggles that Harimau Buta goes through. Meanwhile, try and get your hands on some goodie bags by participating in the blind penalty challenge.
Star R.AGE will also be releasing their feature-documentary, Eye on the Ball, about the remarkable Harimau Buta team in December. Furthermore, it is the first cinema film by the award-winning team and is directed by producer and filmmaker Chen Yih Wen.
The aim of the film is raise funds for furthering the development of blind football in Malaysia. Meanwhile, it’s also a great way for the public to receive insight on the ongoings of the Harimau Buta team.
Hopefully it will be an inspiration to us that no matter what challenges we face, we can still overcome them. Let the team be an inspiration to you. If you have time, do go for the Eye on the Ball: Bola Buta Challenge this 12th October and show them your support.
