Vishnu Vaghela was born in Vada, a small farming village two hours from Palanpur, Gujarat. At just a few months old, sitting on his grandmother’s lap, his eyes suddenly turned white. Doctors diagnosed him with irreversible optic nerve damage.
Until Class 4, Vishnu retained some partial vision. After that, he lost his sight completely. Despite limited resources, his family — his father, a farmer, and his grandmother — supported his education and dreams.
“I saw how hard my parents tried. I told them, stop spending money on treatments. I’ll live my life as a blind person and make something of myself,” Vishnu recalls.
Finding a New World at Mamta Mandir and BPA
After losing his sight, Vishnu shifted from a regular school to Mamta Mandir, a special school for the blind under the Vidyamandir Trust in Palanpur. It reignited his passion for learning and introduced him to sports.
Later, moving to Ahmedabad to join the Blind People’s Association (BPA) became a turning point.
At BPA, he learned:
- How to operate computers
- Japanese massage techniques
- Most importantly, the fundamentals of blind football
“BPA gave me everything — education, sports, a new life,” he says.
The Rise of a Football Star
Although he first played blind cricket — even becoming the vice-captain of Gujarat’s team in 2016–17 — football was where Vishnu’s heart truly lay.
- Started focusing solely on football from 2018
- Plays as a defender for India
- Captains Gujarat’s blind football team as a midfielder
In January 2025, Vishnu’s hard work paid off when he was named Best Player at the BRICS Blind Football Tournament in Moscow.
Scoring a penalty against Brazil in a tense shootout, he helped India push the match into a nerve-wracking final.
“It was my best performance. The atmosphere, the pressure — everything made it special,” Vishnu says.
Football Without Sight: How It Works
In blind football, players rely on:
- A ball fitted with bearings that make sound
- Sharp spatial awareness
- Constant verbal communication from teammates and the goalkeeper
“Playing indoors in Moscow was challenging because echoes confused the ball’s direction. But we stayed focused and adapted,” he explains.
Vishnu’s adaptability on the field — switching from defense to attack as needed — makes him a key player.
Role Models and Mentorship
Vishnu admires global football icons like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. In India, he looks up to Sunil Chhetri and identifies most with defender Sandesh Jhingan. His coach even jokingly calls him ‘Jhingan’ during matches.
Now recovering from a knee surgery, Vishnu spends his time mentoring young blind players at BPA.
“It’s not charity; I love doing it. Helping others gives me true happiness,” he says.
Discipline Beyond the Field
Fitness is a major focus for Vishnu. His routine before surgery included:
- Three hours of training every morning
- Two hours every evening
- A strict vegetarian, high-protein diet provided by the BPA hostel
- No outside food or fried items
His determination shines through every aspect of his life, from his diet to his recovery.
Dr. Bhushan Punani, General Secretary of BPA, describes Vishnu as “accurate, powerful, and outstanding.”
Sunil J Mathew, Head Coach of the Indian Blind Football Team, calls him “one of our future stars.”
As he continues to recover, Vishnu is already setting new goals — not just on the field but as a mentor and role model for young athletes across India.