Twentytwo13

‘Harimau Buta’ eyes slot in World Championships while educating public on eye safety

Today is World Sight Day and Malaysia’s national blind football team, dubbed ‘Harimau Buta’, is on a two-pronged mission – to qualify for next year’s World Championships, and to educate the public to ‘love your eyes’.

The team is all geared up to play in the Blind Football Asian Championship, which will be held from Nov 9-21 in Kerala, India.

The meet in India serves as a qualifier for the Blind Football World Championships, which will take place at the International Blind Sports Federation World Games in Birmingham, England, next year.

“Some have dubbed us ‘Harimau Buta’. We do not see it as an insult. Buta (blind) or not, we are still harimau (tigers),” said the national blind football team coach, Sunny Shalesh.

“The boys are raring to go to India as they are confident of reaching the semifinals and, with it, a ticket to Birmingham.

“The World Championships is akin to the World Cup. The boys want to tell their children, and also the school kids we train, that they have played in a world tournament. Imagine the impact and how inspired those kids will be.”

In India, Malaysia will be up against China, Iran, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Australia, and the host nation. The top four teams will earn tickets to the world meet.

Sunny was formerly a sighted goalkeeper with the national blind football team. A blind football team consists of four legally blind outfield players and one sighted goalkeeper.

Besides working towards that goal, Sunny and his squad of 15 players also hold talks and training sessions at SK Pendidikan Khas Jalan Batu and SMK Pendidikan Khas Setapak in Kuala Lumpur.

“The theme for this year’s World Sight Day is ‘Love your eyes’, and that is one of the messages we spread each time we speak to the schoolchildren,” said Sunny.

“We tell the children to look after their eyes, as more and more people are becoming blind through illness, and sadly, carelessness.

“The Malaysian Society of Ophthalmology (MSO) recently revealed that nearly 100 per cent of all eye trauma that leads to blindness in Malaysia is preventable.

“We hope that by speaking out, we can educate the people on how to prevent blindness.”

For those who have already lost their sight, Sunny said the players help them realise that it is not the end of the world.

The players show that they can still enjoy sports and socialise like a sighted person.

Sunny said that before the Covid-19 pandemic, he used to travel the length and breadth of Malaysia to coach and speak to school children.

“Hopefully, we can resume next year, if we have the funds,” added Sunny.