Soccer brings happiness, new hope to disabled players

Gao Rixiao and his team gather at the pitch for training. [Photo/Xinhua]

Wearing a sports jersey emblazoned with the number 99, Gao Rixiao plays soccer in energetic silence on a green pitch as the sunlight dances across his face.

"I love the number 99 because in Chinese it means forever," the 40-year-old said. "And I want my passion for soccer to last forever."

Gao is a player and the assistant coach of a team of deaf-mute soccer players in Haikou, the capital of South China's Hainan province.

He said he used to feel depressed and upset because of his condition, but thanks to his passion for soccer and the companionship of family and friends, he has left the gloom behind and is now full of hope. "I am happy and content, and I feel like I have a sunny disposition," he said.

Passion for soccer

Gao lost his ability to speak and hear when he was 2 years old, a result improper treatment for a severe fever. For the young child, the loss was too much to bear.

"I hated myself. I hated my parents. I was unhappy. I wanted to be loved and cared for," he recalled.

In 1994, he saw a soccer match on TV at the special school he attended. He did not know what the sport was, but he was fascinated.

He asked other students at the school to play it with him and "had a blast".

"My parents were worried that I might get hurt, but they saw me smiling so much. They were happy and relieved," he said. "I feel like I used to live in a box, but soccer lifted the lid and let the light in."

After graduating in 2000, Gao became a sanitation worker, taking care of a square in Haikou, but his passion for soccer never waned. In 2003, a provincial-level soccer team for people who can't hear or speak was created, attracting many players like him.

Every Monday, Gao and his team gather at the pitch for training. For them, the sport is a platform to demonstrate their abilities, as well as a bridge to connect players with such disabilities with the rest of society.

"We may not be able to sing or talk, but soccer shows that we are just like everyone else," he said. "It is a way for us to make friends, relax and have a lot of fun."

This year, the team took part in the 11th National Games for Persons with Disabilities on behalf of Hainan and came in seventh place.

"We are super, super proud and happy," he said.

Soccer may be an important part of Gao's life, but it's not all he does. He works at a property management office and is responsible for recording staff attendance, making conference slogans and banners and taking care of warehouse materials.

"I am good at paper-cutting, and I enjoy making banners by hand. Every character on every banner is handmade by me," Gao said.

In his spare time, he studies computer science and promotes the learning of sign language in Hainan to help more disabled people adapt.

Gao was elected chairman of the Hainan Association of the Deaf in May 2008. 

"Physical disability is not terrible, as long as you stay positive. If you face things optimistically, everything will be fine," he said.

'Play soccer forever'

China has 85 million disabled people, according to the China Disabled Persons' Federation.

To help people like Gao, the Hainan Disabled Persons' Federation organizes training camps for the soccer team each year and provides players with equipment and places to play.

It allocates special funds for disabled athletes to cover transportation, accommodations and medical insurance for sports events, according to the federation's Li Bangyong.

According to a plan to step up the protection of the rights and interests of people with disabilities issued in July by the State Council, China's Cabinet, the country will facilitate scientific and technological innovation and development to better care for and support people with disabilities through 2025.

In the future, Gao plans to take the team to more sports events to help deaf-mute soccer players "experience the wider world".

"I hope our team can play soccer forever," he said.