Disabled fans show support for Games

Thương (left) and Đan (right) at Tây Hồ gymnasium. VNA/VNS Photo

Bảo Ngọc

Two blind fans, Nguyễn Thảo Đan and Phạm Thị Thương, joined the fervent atmosphere at Tây Hồ Gymnasium during the Taekwondo competition at the SEA Games 31.

Even though they could not see the match, the young girls rooted for the home team with all their hearts.

Thảo Đan, a resident of Hà Nội’s Đống Đa District, and Thương, a local of Hà Nội’s Cầu Giấy District, are two of the most devoted supporters of the Games. 

The two fans stated that they travelled to the competition venues close to their homes to show their support for the Vietnamese delegation.

“I’ve been to the matches five times now, and it’s always a fantastic experience. Unlike watching sports on television, the atmosphere at the gymnasium is incredibly fun and exciting,” Thương said. 

Thương added that she followed the match by listening to the video report on her phone and the cheers of other supporters.

“I typically turn on live match videos on YouTube to keep up with the game. My left ear uses headphones to listen to the match description, while my right ear follows the cheers to experience the intense atmosphere in the stands,” she said. 

For Thảo Đan, going to the stadium to attend matches is not only an enjoyable experience but also an opportunity for her to learn new things.

“I find it fascinating that in addition to cheering for my country’s team, I get to meet supporters from other countries and learn about their unique cultures,” she said.

“Although I can’t see anything, I can envision the excitement in the gymnasium based on the sound of people cheering, trumpets, drums, or whenever the audience applauds.” 

The two said that receiving the enthusiastic assistance of volunteers, security forces, and everyone in the audience made them happy and inspired them.

“I think these people are wonderful, whether they have been trained or just want to help others out of kindness. Their actions are simple but mean a lot to us. They make me and other people with vision impairment feel welcome and not left behind,” Đan said.

In addition to enjoying themselves at the Games, Đan and Thương hope their story will serve as inspiration for those with impairments.

“I hope we will encourage other people with disabilities,” Thương said. “The unifying goal of the 31st Southeast Asian Games is ‘For a stronger Southeast Asia’ but I also want to promote the message of a SEA Games eradicating all borders within the community, especially for the visually impaired.

“There is nothing that divides us as Vietnamese people. Our players deserve our support, so we should all be confident in our own abilities and cheer them on.” — VNS