【Laos】Building a Foundation for Blind Football
- Time Period
- 1st Feb., 2016 to 31st Jan., 2017
- Region
- Vientiane, Laos
- Sport/Programme Category
- Blind Football
- Implementer
- Asian Development with the Disabled Persons (ADDP)
- Recipient Organisation
- National Paralympic Committee of Laos Ministry of Education and Sports, Lao PDR
- Co-Implementer
- Japan Blind Football Association
- Number of Individual Beneficiaries
- 41 people
Visual impairment in Laos presents a major barrier to social participation by persons with disabilities due to difficulty in moving independently. The promotion of sports for the visually impaired leads to the empowerment of persons with disabilities.
Football is a popular sport in Laos, and we can expect the human resources and environment necessary for the spread of blind football. To popularize it, it is necessary to build a foundation for blind football. We are working with the guidance of Japanese blind football experts who are making advanced efforts. This project started with the aim of forming and strengthening the organization by training blind football leaders and improving the practice environment in Laos and improving the understanding of sports for the disabled in the local community through hands-on sessions and seminars.
There is no blind football team in Laos, which lags behind Southeast Asian countries. The reasons are:
1) Low awareness of soccer for the disabled
2) Difficult to work on group events due to lack of human resources and funds
3) Not included in the government's priority competition due to lack of activity record
4) There is no tool in Laos to train blind soccer leaders and referees
5) External factors such as lack of equipment
Through international competitions in Thailand and India, this project has evolved into a strong team and solved these issues.
See below for the Japanese version.
http://www.sftlegacy.jpnsport.go.jp/wp/jp/20171027-2/
Football is a popular sport in Laos, and we can expect the human resources and environment necessary for the spread of blind football. To popularize it, it is necessary to build a foundation for blind football. We are working with the guidance of Japanese blind football experts who are making advanced efforts. This project started with the aim of forming and strengthening the organization by training blind football leaders and improving the practice environment in Laos and improving the understanding of sports for the disabled in the local community through hands-on sessions and seminars.
There is no blind football team in Laos, which lags behind Southeast Asian countries. The reasons are:
1) Low awareness of soccer for the disabled
2) Difficult to work on group events due to lack of human resources and funds
3) Not included in the government's priority competition due to lack of activity record
4) There is no tool in Laos to train blind soccer leaders and referees
5) External factors such as lack of equipment
Through international competitions in Thailand and India, this project has evolved into a strong team and solved these issues.
See below for the Japanese version.
http://www.sftlegacy.jpnsport.go.jp/wp/jp/20171027-2/
Feedback from Local Contacts :
Comments from Ms. Donh, Lao Bride Footabll Assistant Coach:
Our blind football team participated in the ASEAN Para Games held in Malaysia from September 17, 2017, as the Lao delegation for the first time and won the silver medal.
A year and a half ago, the team had not been formed yet, but I continued to practice regularly, and under the wonderful guidance of a Japanese coach, the team became one and winning the medal gave me confidence above all else. I was really happy. I want to continue to do my best!
