'I can run freely': Malaysian blind footballers on how sport has liberated them


Two members of the Malaysian blind football team talk about how playing the sport has given them a new lease of life, and also about the upcoming documentary feature film, 'Eye On The Ball'.

From afar, Rollen Marakim and Asri Arshad look like two ordinary footballers having a kickabout on the field. Get closer, however, and you’ll find out that they are hardly ordinary, but rather, quite extraordinary.

The first thing you notice is the rattling sound coming from the soccer balls they passed it back and forth. The blindfolds they wear over their eyes is another indication that these are not normal footballers.

Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

RM 11.12/month

Billed as RM 11.12 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 9.87/month

Billed as RM 118.40 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Entertainment

Bang Chan of K-pop boy band Stray Kids donates RM912,000 on 29th birthday
Hi Ma, Pa: 'Growing Up' actress Irin Gan reunites with on-screen parents Lim Kay Tong and Wee Soon Hui
Oscar winner of Hollywood classics Eva Marie Saint dies at 102
Paris-based actress Sharon Au sets sights on ‘new beginning’ in Seoul
Sylvester Stallone opens up about steroid use, eating disorder
HK actor Ray Lui, 69, impresses netizens with youthful visuals
HK-based singer Maria Cordero, 72, planning for future, now looking into nursing homes
Award-winning Chinese film brings Xinjiang's culture to Malaysian screens
Robert Pattinson’s new movie ‘Primetime’ banned in Malaysia
Former ‘American Idol’ singer Caleb Flynn sentenced to life in prison for wife’s murder

Others Also Read