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At the tournament

NEW GOAL

This event signals the college’s determination to popularise adapted football. “We are pushing for an inter-collegiate adapted football tournament,” says Jerome David, lecturer, of mobility science. “As it is fast and exciting, adapted football is likely to gain wide acceptance,” says George Edward, a former lecturer of the college and one of the founders of this sport.

“The credit should go to one D.S. Luther who first thought it up,” says Edward. He, however, admits that Professor S. Jaimitra’s pioneering work in the area of adapted sports is unparalleled. Jaimitra is credited with having reframed the rules of many sports to suit the physically-challenged.

Football is one of the few he left untouched.

This form of football is played on a volleyball court or one with the same dimensions. But the net is tied just 35 cm above the ground. The height of a football being 30 cm, this provides just the right space for it to be kicked into the opponents’ court. Adapted football follows the volleyball scoring system. Even the service is similar, except that the football has to be ‘kicked’ from outside the baseline. Someone from the opposing side has to stop the served football and pass it to another player, who can either pass it or kick it into the opponents’ court. More than two passes are not allowed. Not passing the football at all also makes for a foul.

With each team represented by four men and two women, adapted football crosses the gender divide.

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