Blind football team heading for London paralympic games

The
London 2012
Paralympics is
preparing to host
the arrival of a
sea of red and
yellow shirts
from China’s
participating
Paralympics
team.
The Paralympics
would kick off
with China’s Blind
Football team on
Aug. 22 in the
first event of the
Games.
China’s blind
athletes has
prepared for
London with a
nine-month
training camp in
Fuzhou.
The training
helped to select
eight athletes,
two goalkeepers,
a guide member,
and a coach.
Five of the
competing
athlete’s are
from the Armed
Forces who had
previously
competed at the
Beijing
Paralympics
Games in 2008.
China’s group
stage opponents
are Turkey,
France and Brazil.
Only the top two
teams can
qualify for the
semi-finals.
Dong Junjie, the
Head Coach of
China, said that
this is the
strongest group
of the event,
with Beijing
Paralympic
Games
champions Brazil,
France and
Turkey
possessing
quality and
strength in
depth.
At the Beijing
2008 Paralympic
Games, Brazil
was China’ s
number one rival,
but after the
experience of
2008, the team
are no longer in
awe of the
situation, but are
united together
as one to play to
their best
capabilities.
In 2005, China’s
Blind Football
team was
officially
established,
winning silver at
the 2008 Beijing
Paralympic
Games.
Since then, the
team’s record
has been highly
impressive,
winning the
Asian
championship in
2009, runner-up
in both the 2010
World Cup and
2011 World Blind
Games
respectively, and
winners in the
2011 Asian
Championships.
The London
Paralympics
Games will see a
team of athletes
preparing to do
their best to get
the best results.
The level of
attention,
commitment,
skill and
experience in the
world of blind
football has
grown
significantly and
China is expected
to face a tough
fight in London.
(Xinhua/NAN)