Feature: Coach Luo's strong bond with blind football

by sportswriters Hu Jiali and Zheng Zhi

GUANGZHOU, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- From a small fishing village on China's southern coast to the pitch of the National Games for Persons with Disabilities, blind football coach Luo Chengmian has followed an unusual path.

Born with a visual impairment, Luo grew up in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, gradually learning what his condition would mean for his life.

In 2009, he left home for the first time to attend a special education school, where he studied music and was introduced to blind football.

On the blind football pitch, Luo discovered a rare sense of freedom. Sprinting at full speed, guided only by sound and teamwork, he found the confidence and purpose that would later define his life.

In 2019, Luo returned to his hometown in Leizhou, Guangdong. While making a living singing and playing guitar on the streets, he began organizing local children, many of them left-behind children, to play football.

He later founded a club called "Little Prodigy" beside his family's small grocery store. It soon became a hub where children read books, played chess, sang songs and, most importantly, played football.

"Football teaches more than skills," Luo said. "It teaches children how to grow up."

Over the years, the club has been a small but lively center in the village. As time passed, village schools closed and the children were sent to study in town. Luo returned to a quieter life, opening a convenience store on a busy street corner in Leizhou.

Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away in northwest China, a new blind football team was beginning to take shape.

In Kashgar, Xinjiang, a group of blind children was brought together during the filming of a documentary on blind football. Although the project was eventually shelved, the effort did not fade away. With continued support, the initiative took root, and a Xinjiang blind football team was formally established.

As the 2024 National Blind Football Championships approached, the newly formed team urgently needed a head coach.

That was when Luo received the call.

He handed over his store to his family and embarked on a new journey, becoming the team's head coach.

"Because I've been helped before, I know how important it is to be there for others," Luo explained.

Most of his players had never left Xinjiang. For them, blind football brought a clear sense of direction. On the pitch, hesitation faded as soon as the ball reached their feet, replaced by focus and resolve.

Under Luo's guidance, the team trained intensively for months. Their efforts paid off when they qualified for the National Games for Persons with Disabilities through the National Championships.

At the Games in Guangzhou, they faced more experienced opponents, including national champions. Despite their lack of big-stage experience, the young squad fought with courage and composure.

After the Games, Luo's assignment came to an end, and the players returned to their daily training routines.

"They know what they want now," Luo said. "They don't need me to walk with them all the way."

Even so, his connection to blind football remains strong. More teams have reached out to him, hoping he will help build squads for future competitions.

Wherever he goes, blind football, the sport that once reshaped his own life, will continue to open new paths for others. ■