Doha: Sitting in the gallery of the 69,000-crowded Al Bait Stadium for the Germany-Spain ‘Big Match’, Kunjan, a resident of Perinthalmanna, Malappuram, has no small desire.
Spain and Germany stars including Sergio Busquets, Marco Asensio, Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer should be seen next. The inner desire was conveyed to the FIFA volunteer who came to the gallery to seek welfare. The answer was that it was unlikely to happen with only minutes left for the start of the game.
But after some time, a FIFA official approached Kunjan. The question is whether to go to the ground and meet the players. Without a second thought: “Yes…” he replied. And all the moments felt like a dream.
Assisted by Mobility Assistance Volunteers for Disabled Spectators, the baby and wheelchair were carried down Al Bait’s lift to the green field. The players walked out of the dressing room and into the middle of the field, with the VIP treatment of the baby and another differently-abled football fan from Iran.
Kunjan sat beside him and witnessed the moment when the stars, including Noir, Busquets and Jordi Alba, who were seen only on TV, walked right in front of them and went to the field. Although he could not shake hands or take a picture, he is thankful for the consideration given to him by the Qatar World Cup organizers.
As a child he was paralyzed from the waist down due to polio, but his dreams knew no bounds. Friends and family became wings to those dreams. Kunjan, who is active on social media as a YouTube vlogger under the name ‘Walk with Kunjan’, has also embraced football.
Meanwhile, the arrival of World Cup football to Qatar. Four years ago, when he expressed his desire to watch the World Cup matches, his friends came to his aid. When match ticket sales started last January, 10 tickets were acquired through the ‘Accessibility Ticket’ category reserved for the differently abled.
Favorite teams Brazil, Argentina and Portugal also got tickets for matches. Kunjan arrived in Qatar on November 13 along with Shabib, who is also his son’s companion. He is busy enjoying all the beauty of the World Cup.
Reaches everywhere including stadiums, Fanzone and Corniche. Vlogs are posted on trips to the playground, chatting with foreign spectators and more.
Before going back home to watch the game of Messi and Neymar, the child also wants to take a selfie with them and meet Ghanim Almufta, the differently-abled person who shined at the opening stage of the World Cup. Kunhan thanked the organizers and the Qatari government for making the game enjoyable for the differently-abled spectators from all over the world.