Panyawut
Kupan, the most famous blind footballer in Thailand, talks about his
life and his experiences of playing with Indian players at Kochi
By Shevlin Sebastian
It is a cloudy morning at a football ground in Kochi. A few players step out onto the turf. Among them is Panyawut Kupan, a player from Thailand. Soon, he takes the red and white striped ball and begins to play with it, using his feet. Sometimes, he takes it forward, then backwards, then sideways, left to right, right to left, then he does a back pass, and collects it with the other foot. It was mesmerising. What made this performance so amazing is because the 24-year-old is completely blind. So, he is controlling the ball through feeling and intuition.
“I developed this skill by training for hundreds of hours,” he says. “The ball has to remain stuck to your foot even when you move. Otherwise, you will lose control of it. So you have to develop a feel for the ball.”
Panyawut had come to Kochi recently, with Kong, the captain of Thailand's national football team, coaches Surin Sungsiri and Chaiyaporn Sanidwong, and Tim Suphankomut, the director of the Sports Association for the Blind of Thailand. “The aim was to give exposure to the Indian team as well as gain some experience for ourselves,” says Tim.
The sessions, spread over three days, went off well. And Panyawut was impressed by the Indian players. “They played with dedication and sincerity,” he says. “During a morning training session, one player started bleeding on the forehead because he banged his head against another player. But after putting on a bandage, he was back on the field.”
But Panyawat is honest, too. “India is a newcomer to blind football, so the players may not have the skill level yet to compete at the highest level, but they have the heart,” he says. “The best thing about India is that there is so much talent. But they need to play together more so that they can feel they are all part of a team.”
By Shevlin Sebastian
It is a cloudy morning at a football ground in Kochi. A few players step out onto the turf. Among them is Panyawut Kupan, a player from Thailand. Soon, he takes the red and white striped ball and begins to play with it, using his feet. Sometimes, he takes it forward, then backwards, then sideways, left to right, right to left, then he does a back pass, and collects it with the other foot. It was mesmerising. What made this performance so amazing is because the 24-year-old is completely blind. So, he is controlling the ball through feeling and intuition.
“I developed this skill by training for hundreds of hours,” he says. “The ball has to remain stuck to your foot even when you move. Otherwise, you will lose control of it. So you have to develop a feel for the ball.”
Panyawut had come to Kochi recently, with Kong, the captain of Thailand's national football team, coaches Surin Sungsiri and Chaiyaporn Sanidwong, and Tim Suphankomut, the director of the Sports Association for the Blind of Thailand. “The aim was to give exposure to the Indian team as well as gain some experience for ourselves,” says Tim.
The sessions, spread over three days, went off well. And Panyawut was impressed by the Indian players. “They played with dedication and sincerity,” he says. “During a morning training session, one player started bleeding on the forehead because he banged his head against another player. But after putting on a bandage, he was back on the field.”
But Panyawat is honest, too. “India is a newcomer to blind football, so the players may not have the skill level yet to compete at the highest level, but they have the heart,” he says. “The best thing about India is that there is so much talent. But they need to play together more so that they can feel they are all part of a team.”
Adds
national coach Sunil Mathew, “The aim of holding a joint training
session is to help develop the skills of the Indian team. Currently
we are ranked 29th in the world.”
Meanwhile, on his first visit, Panyawat liked Kochi. “It is very similar to the southern part of Thailand, like Surat Thani and Phuket,” says the Bangkok-based player. “We also have the same trees and greenery. Food-wise, both of us eat a lot of rice, and fish and curry meals.”
And although he radiates energy and focus, he admits it has been a tough journey. Punyawat began to lose his eyesight when he was six years old. “I remember how my mother would cry whenever we would go to the hospital,” he says. By the time he was 16, Punyawat was completely blind. It was only then that he became eligible to play blind football. But he does not want to dwell on his blindness. “I want to be a good player and citizen, and not be a burden on society,” says Punyawat, who is a travel guide for the SNP Group of Companies.
And today, he is the most famous blind footballer in Thailand now. “In the past two years, Punyawat has played five tournaments in Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia, and also took part in the World Blind football championships in Madrid (June 7-17), where he scored five goals.” In the end, Thailand came 12th out of 16 nations.
Thanks to his achievements, his parents and his two sisters are happy. “Playing football has changed my life,” he says. “Many people know me. So, I don't want to let them down. I want to become a better player so that I can help Thailand do well in international tournaments.”
Meanwhile, on his first visit, Panyawat liked Kochi. “It is very similar to the southern part of Thailand, like Surat Thani and Phuket,” says the Bangkok-based player. “We also have the same trees and greenery. Food-wise, both of us eat a lot of rice, and fish and curry meals.”
And although he radiates energy and focus, he admits it has been a tough journey. Punyawat began to lose his eyesight when he was six years old. “I remember how my mother would cry whenever we would go to the hospital,” he says. By the time he was 16, Punyawat was completely blind. It was only then that he became eligible to play blind football. But he does not want to dwell on his blindness. “I want to be a good player and citizen, and not be a burden on society,” says Punyawat, who is a travel guide for the SNP Group of Companies.
And today, he is the most famous blind footballer in Thailand now. “In the past two years, Punyawat has played five tournaments in Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia, and also took part in the World Blind football championships in Madrid (June 7-17), where he scored five goals.” In the end, Thailand came 12th out of 16 nations.
Thanks to his achievements, his parents and his two sisters are happy. “Playing football has changed my life,” he says. “Many people know me. So, I don't want to let them down. I want to become a better player so that I can help Thailand do well in international tournaments.”
(Sunday
Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)
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