Watch: Indian blind football team beats Japan 1-0 in historic upset

What's the story?

Blind sports in India is on the rise and with more emphasis being laid on the foundations of blind sport in the country, there is huge scope in the game for the visually challenged.

This growth in the field of blind competition was on show this week as the Indian national blind football team travelled to Japan in order to compete in the IBSA Blind Football World Grand Prix 2018.

With few expectations and no real pressure, the team performed admirably and won against Japan 1-0 on the Japanese turf. The so-called upset has added a big boost to the morale of the Indian camp.

In case you didn't know...

The Indian Blind Football Federation (IBFF) has been established so as to give special attention to blind football in the country and it appears to have paid dividends with a number of talented players entering the fray and receiving opportunities to play around the world.

The heart of the matter

The gritty Indian contingent came up tops against Japan (B) by a one-goal margin thanks to a finish by Klingson Marak and, ensuring that the team gets off the mark at the Grand Prix in Tokyo.

The Indians played Belgium in their second game but lost 2-0, with the Belgians only drawing 1-1 with Japan in their subsequent match. India will play Belgium again on Saturday in what will be an interesting encounter.

What's next?

The 'Blue Dolphins' have already exceeded expectations but will have hopes of progressing further in the competition and make the country proud of their efforts in Japan.

Author's take

It is indeed a breath of fresh air to see the visually challenged perform so brilliantly and this victory will hopefully encourage more blind players to pursue their dreams of playing sports.