TURA, Sept 26: A moment of pride for Meghalaya and Garo Hills as a visually impaired soccer player has been selected to be part of the indian team participating in this week’s International football tournament for the blind taking place at Kochi in Kerala.
The tournament begins from September 26th to 2nd October and national teams from different continents of the world are taking part.
Visually challenged football player Klingson D Marak is the only player from Meghalaya, and the second from the north east, who is participating in this tournament.
The IBSA Blind Football Intercontinental Cup-2023 at Kochi will see the indian team in action against a host of international players from various countries vying for the coveted trophy.
Klingson Marak will be in the forward line and one of the main strikers for the indian team.
From 2021-22 he has played for the national side in tournaments held at England, North America, Japan, Thailand and Oman making a mark as a skilful tackler of the ball.
“We are rooting for him and are optimistic he will win laurels for the state and country. His love for football is such that he wanted the game to be loved by others like him. He is the founder of the Garo Blind Football Team which he helped to register as a society in 2019,” says Jhon Lavin Ch Marak, the secretary of the club.
Klingson has been in Kerela for more than a month, prior to the tournament, training with the other team members.
Hailing from Rongsepgre village under Zikzak block in South West Garo Hills district, his childhood blindness failed to deter him.
His parents Subendro Rema and Jenmi D Marak enrolled him at Tura Montfort Centre for Education School in the year 2014 where he quickly adapted to playing the game, despite being visually impaired.
He got selected in 2016 for the Indian Blind Football squad and was taken to Kochi where he was enrolled in a training camp and came out on top as one of the most promising players.
From Kochi, there has been no turning back for Klingson as he went on to represent the squad in one tournament after another across the globe marking him as an international player.
He has been bestowed with multiple awards in the past few years- from becoming a youth icon of the election department in his district in 2017 to having been selected this year by the Meghalaya government for the U Kiang Nangbah Award for sports.
“He is a shining example for others to emulate and we are proud of him for bringing fame and honour to our country, our state and the Garo tribe,” says Jhon Lavin Ch Marak of the Garo Blind Football Club.
