Paralympic fans learn to keep quiet for visually impaired

PARIS (AP) — A soft voice from the loudspeaker reminds the agitated crowd: “Shh. Shh.”

The whistle sounds.

Suddenly, silence falls on the spectators and the slightest noise resonates in the Eiffel Tower stadium. The fans fill the stadium, but sometimes it is difficult to tell. This type of atmosphere is unthinkable in most sports arenas, but especially in a sport like football, whose fans are perhaps best known for their rowdiness.

But this is no ordinary football. This is blind football, one of two silent sports at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Blind football and goalball are intended for visually impaired athletes.

When sensory input is reduced in one area, other senses take over; without sight, hearing takes over.

In both sports, the ball is equipped with a rattle or bell that alerts players of its approximate position. Players call out to each other as they move around the field, and fans must contain their excitement until the ball is out of play. Both sports cultivate an environment like no other. Without constant chatter and chanting, the energy of the fans manifests itself in a constant focus on the field of play.

Jeferson “Jefinho” Goncalves, Brazil’s blind star footballer, said through a translator that he and his teammates felt the crowd was also involved in the game and reacting to every moment, and that they felt the energy on the pitch.

Jade Sidot, 18, a French fan, said blind football requires a different level of attention.

“My father and I go to football games,” Sidot said, referring to her experiences at able-bodied games. “(Blind football) is very different, but at the same time, I am more focused.”

Fans unfamiliar with the sport may feel uneasy about the new rules. To ease the tension, a goalball commentator lets fans know they are allowed to talk: “Noise.” A little nervous at first, the spectators gradually increase the volume of their applause.

At half-time and between important matches, a runner comes to the blind football field with a large sign that explicitly says “PUT IT ON FORT!!!” Usually, such signals create momentum among the spectators who are already applauding.

These are really instructions here.

Even with the official green light, some new fans let their patriotism trump propriety while others remain confused.

“It’s kind of funny because I think people in the stands are scared, they don’t know when to cheer, but I know the game,” said Eliana Mason, a Paralympic goalball player who frequently supports her fiancé, Calahan Young, also a Paralympian and goalball player, at his games. “It’s quiet, I’m like, ‘Let’s go!’ People are looking at me and I’m like, okay, I know when I can cheer and when I can’t cheer.”

When cheering is allowed, it is thunderous. Dutch spectators agree that at such times the applause is much louder than in non-silent sports.

“I feel like you’re in the game with them when they score,” said Jamie Koudijs, a 23-year-old Dutch fan who had never attended a silent sporting event before today. “We all went crazy, like you did! Because they can’t see what they’re doing.”

This back-and-forth dynamic can also be distracting for competitors. Jefinho explained that it can be difficult to get the ball if the crowd doesn’t “shush” at the right time, but he also said he’s optimistic that these issues will start to disappear as blind football grows in popularity.

Jefinho said that as more people get used to blind football, the crowd will get used to the noise rules and get to know the environment.

One thing fans keep coming back to is that they feel their silence equates to respect, not just for the players, but for the sport itself.

“It’s a different way of acting and respecting the players,” said Joaquim Mendes, a 15-year-old Brazilian fan, about the fans at the Eiffel Tower stadium. He attended a soccer match between Brazil and Turkey, which Brazil won 3-0.

“I think the energy is the same,” added Sidot, who attended the same game. “Even though we have to stay quiet, I feel like people are still really excited to be here.”

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