FIFA 2010 may have come and gone recently.
However, its memories will continue to live in the hearts and minds of everyone who never missed an exciting kick in the month-long, non-stop super action from South Africa.
No one more, perhaps, than two people I talked to recently during the World Cup fever season.
Yam Tong Woo, like most football fans I know, found the stadium’s horns called vuvuzelas used by the South Africans during the soccer matches extremely annoying.
“Because of its rather loud and distinctive monotone note that sounded like the incessant humming of bees, it had drowned out the sound of the soccer ball being kicked in the field during the matches,” lamented the 56-year old former automotive engineer who lives in Sungei Buloh, Selangor.
The sound of each kick was important for Yam in order to appreciate the game even more because he is blind.
This was the first World Cup event where Yam was able to enjoy it as a visually impaired person.
Yam suddenly lost his sight two years ago in Kun Ming, Yunnan province in China during a job assignment there.
He had developed a sudden fever and diarrhoea through food poisoning. And the next thing he knew, within a week he had lost all his sight completely in both eyes.
Not to be defeated by his mishap, Yam bounced back within a year of his illness to become chairman of a cyber club for the blind at the Malaysian Association of the Blind in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.
Through his position, Yam now helps other blind persons like him to get online and familiarise themselves with internet and communication technology.
At the club, the blind come together to share and update themselves on the very latest assistive technological devises that are available for blind users.
Yam has been a fan of soccer for as long as he can remember.
At the previous World Cup four years ago, Yam watched the action in Malaysia whilst his eldest son watched it live in Germany where it was held.
This time round, however, father and son had an even greater time watching it together at their home in Sungei Buloh.
“My boy would commentate each match for me as we watched the games,” explained Yam who is married to Ooi Phak Hong. The couple have three grown-up children.
“Though it gets a little frustrating for the both of us at times with him having to give me all the details and me not knowing everything when he jumps up and shouts, ‘goal’ without me knowing what had just happened, I think my blindness has only made us all even much closer – than apart – as a family,” concluded Yam.
Chong Tuck Meng seems to agree that the World Cup season has uncannily helped him to improve his quality of life as a person with a disability.
After becoming paralysed from the neck down in a motorcycle accident nearly thirty years ago, one of Chong’s daily challenges now is to make sure that he doesn’t develop pressure sores on his buttocks owing to prolonged sitting on his wheelchair.
“Thanks to FIFA 2010, I’ve found the perfect excuse to lie down on my bed and take the pressure off my back to watch my favourite teams battle with each other on the African soccer fields,” said the 49-year old who hails from Bentong in the state of Pahang.
“Not only that but the World Cup Fever is also a great diversion for many of our physically disabled members in our national society,” added the adviser of Perwira K9.
“It is never easy for anyone to suddenly become disabled but for those who do, soccer has helped them put their worries on hold for a while and enjoy life.”
Chong says FIFA 2010 has helped some of his pressure sores to close up. It has also made him drink a lot of water in order to prevent infections in the bladder through dehydration.
“At home, we don’t have to worry about inaccessible toilets and be forced to cut down on our water intake as a result and cause a strain on our bladders.”
This; ironically coming from someone who in his teens was actually thrilled when he broke his leg during sports so that he could stay at home and enjoy the World Cup then.
For Chong – and Yam – who were both pitching in for a victory for the Netherlands, take heart, guys.
Thankfully with soccer, there will always be another day!
The End
PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive). Our contents are ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST. We offer both local and foreign news on animals, disability and the elderly. PET+BLOGSPOT was first established in October 2007. Our hits since then is 45,000 hits and counting. PET+BLOGSPOT is updated daily. Kindly take note that views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of PETPOSITIVE. You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.com.my
