Football is the favorite sport of Asia, barring a country here and there – and even the likes of China, Japan and India are making huge efforts to improve their national football capability. Football is a great unifier, and yet it has a long way to come when it comes to one group of people – people living with disability. The Asia-Pacific region has up to 700 million people living with disability, according to ReliefWeb, representing a massive amount of football fans who may be precluded from either watching or playing football. Making small adaptations is key, and schemes and efforts across the region are making a difference.
Looking for capability
Football is a team sport, and all team sports have ways to adapt them to make them suitable for people living with disability. Simple modifications, such as smaller ball sizes and the slowing down of play, can make football much easier to adapt to for people living with disability. What’s required to achieve this is visibility and interest from football associations – something which can, sadly, sometimes be in short supply. This is why moves like the one made by the Bangladesh football association are so crucial. As highlighted by disability advocate organization Para Football in a recent press release concerning football in Bangladesh, the move to link up the BPFF with disabled football advocates means there will be more space for adaptations on the field to the benefit of would-be soccer stars.
Making stadiums better
Asia has shone over the last year when it comes to football accessibility due to the phenomenal level of disability awareness shown at the Qatar World Cup. As Forbes highlights, the tournament, while attracting controversy in other quarters, ultimately has become a flagship for disabled inclusion at tournaments, with previously unseen levels of thought and adjustment made so that disabled fans can enter the stadia and enjoy the games. This is food for thought for future tournament planners, and is something to bear in mind as Asia looks to its matches of the future.
Asia is in a prime spot to launch itself as a beacon of fairness and inclusivity for fans living with disability. There has been a lot of trouble in Europe concerning the treatment of fans living with disability, as The Independent highlights with regards to the nearly tragic events of Paris’ 2022 Champions League final. Avoiding stories like this, and looking to get on a front footing with treating fans in a fair and inclusive way, is something for Asian football to hang its hat on – and something which, as has been shown by Qatar, is completely achievable.
Treating disabled fans fairly opens up a new world of opportunity for a huge section of society. If there is a will, there’s a way, as has been clearly shown by efforts in Qatar and Bangladesh. Here’s hoping the rest of the continent embraces those ambitions.
