Vishnu Vaghela lost vision in infancy; he is now India’s star in blind football
Vishnu is the captain of the Gujarat and national teams. Coming from a humble background, he is immensely grateful to Blind People’s Association (BPA), Ahmedabad, for its encouragement and support. A born leader, he is committed to mentor younger players while improving his own game
Aruna Raghuram
Listening to the story of Vishnu Vaghela’s rise to fame is as thrilling as watching a football match! The 27-year-old was awarded the Best Player trophy at the International BRICS Blind Football Tournament held in Moscow in January 2025.
The captain of the Indian International Football Team for the Blind and captain of the Gujarat team, Vishnu plays as a defender in the national team. In the Gujarat team, he plays in an attacking position as a mid-fielder.
Vishnu was recognised at the BRICS tournament for both his defensive and attacking skills. Scoring a crucial penalty against Brazil in the shootout was a special moment for Vishnu in the tournament.
Speaking about the tournament, Vishnu has said in another interview that it was his best performance so far. The atmosphere, the weather, and the place were great. It was a very good tournament for India as well as pushing Brazil into a shootout was a big achievement. It made coaches, staff, and other countries aware of India’s growing presence in blind football, says Vishnu.
Confident and articulate, Vishnu shares his journey from infancy, when he lost his vision, to the present where he is recovering from an injury but enthusiastic about training juniors and getting back to playing in June.
Humble background
“I belong to Vada village located two hours from Palanpur in Gujarat. My father is a farmer and I am the oldest of six siblings. When I was a baby, my grandmother was sitting with me in her lap when my eyes turned white and I lost my vision. Doctors said a nerve had been damaged. Till class four I had partial vision, but since they I have been totally blind,” narrates Vishnu.
Vishnu’s parents tried to get him medical help repeatedly but to no avail. Seeing their struggle and poor financial situation, he told them to stop looking for remedies. “I will live my life as a visually impaired person and make the best of my life too,” he told his parents confidently. And, that’s exactly what he has done.
Vishnu studied in regular school till class 4. After that he studied in Mamta Mandir, a special school for the blind in Palanpur till class 12. Mamta Mandir is under the Vidyamandir Trust.
When he got to know about the Blind People’s Association (BPA), Ahmedabad, one of the largest NGOs in India in the disability sector, he decided to come to Ahmedabad and live and study at BPA.
Finding support at BPA
The organisation took him under its wing. He learnt computer usage and Japanese medical manual techniques (allied to massage therapy). But what he received immense support for was football.
He was interested in studies but his heart was in sports. Vishnu has said in another interview that running, the feeling of enthusiasm, excitement and nervousness on the ground, was what drew him to sports.
From class 6, he was interested in cricket. He was even selected in the state team having proved himself to be a talented all-rounder. He represented Gujarat as the vice-captain of the state’s blind cricket team in 2016-17.
But soon football became a passion. “Since 2018 I have been focusing on football. Whatever I am today is because of BPA,” says the talented youngster.
Football heroes
Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi are Vishnu’s heroes among international legends. In India, he has great respect for Sunil Chhetri, former Indian captain. Another icon Vishnu identifies with in terms of his game is Sandesh Jhingan. In fact, his coach often addresses Vishnu as ‘Jhingan’!
In blind football, players use auditory cues and tactile feedback to help them play. A special ball is used that makes a cricket-like sound, so that players can sense the direction where the ball is coming from. Auditory commentary help players gauge the field setting.
Blind football comes with unique challenges, particularly in noisy environments. Explaining these difficulties in another interview, Vishnu has said that in Moscow, the matches were played indoors, which made it hard due to the echo and sounds from the crowd, players, and the ball. It was challenging to judge the ball, but the team adapted and stayed focused, he has said.
Clear goal
There are huge chances of injury while playing blind football. At present, Vishnu is recovering from surgery after an injury to his left knee. He is spending his time coaching and mentoring at BPA, nurturing future talent in blind football.
“Not only do I feel a sense of responsibility because BPA has done so much for me, I genuinely enjoy helping others. It gives me great satisfaction to give happiness to people,” says Vishnu.
Dr Bhushan Punani, General Secretary of BPA, has called Vishnu an accurate, powerful and outstanding player. In another interview, he has said: “He practises very hard on his game. It is hard to believe he is blind when he places and hits the ball on the target.”
Sunil J Mathew, Head Coach of the Indian Blind Football team, has said about Vishnu in another interview that he is one of the best defenders and a highly motivated and disciplined player. He is one of the future stars of the Indian team, Mathew believes.
Before the injury Vishnu would practise for three hours in the morning and two in the evening. “I watch my diet, avoiding fried foods and outside food. I am a vegetarian so the BPA hostel, where I live, provides me high-protein food like sprouts, as well as fruits. I keep fit with running and regular workouts that differ every day,” he says.
A born leader, Vishnu says on the ground he is calm and collected when there is a dispute. “While the game of football is aggressive, and I may get angry if the opposing team member misbehaves, I try to keep my cool. If a rival team member falls down I even help him up,” he says.
Sociable, Vishnu is most often surrounded by friends. He is looking forward to get a job in the State Bank of India (SBI) soon. He has completed his BA in history. He also wants to play well and work on his fitness. Of course, his primary goal is to contribute to the growth of blind football in the country, he says with a smile.
