Meet Meghalaya’s very own Blind ‘Messi’ who needs your support!
November 21, 2017: Gabriel Nongrum is a 23 year old Blind footballer from the remote village; Umskun Nongpoh in Ribhoi district, Meghalaya. Blind Football is an exciting, fast paced 5-a-side football played by visually impaired athletes using a ball with a noise-making device inside. (For more info: http://www.blindfootball.in/ibf.php). His stellar talent and sumptuous ability with the football catches the eye almost instantaneously. So much so that his first ever performance in a Blind Football demo match organized in Shillong in September 2016 during the Blind Football Awareness tour (http://www.blindfootball.in/eventdetails.php?id=2) indubitably impelled the Indian Blind Football Federation (IBFF) to select him for the National Blind Football Academy in Ernakulam, Kerala where he is currently mastering the tricks of the trade.
Since then his surge to glorious heights has continued unabated, there has been no looking back. Nurtured by Bethany Society, Shillong where he pursued his primary and secondary education, he is now an integral member of the Bethany Society and Shillong Blind Football teams and has also represented the state in tournaments across the country. His ability, tenacity and consistency led to the exceptional yet inevitable; a place in the Indian Blind Football Team. He was an indispensable member of the Indian team which participated in the Tri-nation Blind Football tournament featuring India, Malaysia and Laos held in Kochi in December 2016. He thus became one of the first ever players from the North East India to play for the Indian National Blind Football team, an unprecedented and phenomenal achievement for him as well as the entire North East India.
His finest hour of achievement yet though, has arrived as he has been shortlisted again for the Indian Blind Football Team to participate in the Blind Football Asian Championships (Details: http://www.ibsasport.org/calendar/797/ibsa-blind-football-asian-championships-2017) to be held in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia during 9th to 18th December, 2017. However, to participate in the championships, there is a registration fee of 600 Euros ~ 45000 INR + flight costs + visa: 15000 INR, a total 60000 INR that has to be met. This is unfortunately the biggest impediment along the way of Gabriel grabbing this lifetime opportunity. Due to their own financial constraints the IBFF is incapacitated to cover this cost for each player of the team. Hence the onus now lies on each of the players to raise the stipulated amount by themselves to fuel their dreams. Coming from a modest and marginalized background this is onerously daunting for Gabriel and his family for they lack the necessary wherewithal to meet this amount. Moreover, their ordeal is further compounded as the due amount needs to raised before the final training camp which is scheduled to be organized by the end of November 2017. The family is thus looking for the support and assistance of the generous and kind-hearted individuals and entities to enable Gabriel to achieve his dream.
It's therefore a clarion call to all those who are able and can enable this prolific prodigy to write a new chapter in his heroic saga. Your invaluable contribution can prevent him from being deprived of this well-deserved opportunity and thus prevent the world from being deprived of his sublime ability.
To contribute, please contact: 08837203846 (Gabriel Nongrum), 09862573795 (Ms. Bertha Dkhar) email: evergreenmue@gmail.com
