One-legged footballer chases sports dream

A video clip shows He Yiyi in action during a football match in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Oct 30, 2021. [China Central Television]

Charging along the sideline at full speed, before the ball went out of the goal line, he blasted an angled shot just wide of the goal.

The player, He Yiyi, stands out for more than just his prowess on the pitch, as he has only one leg.

The 25-year-old is an athlete of the Guangdong provincial athletic team for disabled people.

He developed a passion for football since boyhood. At 9 years of age, he was admitted into the youth academy of a football club in Shenzhen. Later, he was chosen to receive training overseas.

A file photo of He Yiyi (center, front row). [Photo/CCTV]

"I was overjoyed at the time, and thought I was going to be a professional," He said.

However, the boy did not know a fateful accident was in store for him.

Before he went abroad to receive training, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. The doctor told him only an amputation could save him.

The surgery cost He almost his entire left leg.

As the wound healed, He started rehabilitation training. With only one leg left, He still could not resist the temptation of football. He tried to kick the ball on crutches using one leg.

"At the beginning, I found it hard to strike a balance. I often kicked the crutch and fell over," he said.

[CCTV]

After repeated failures, and wearing out scores of pairs of crutches, he finally grasped the skill to play football on crutches and could join normal people in play.

"Because I have to keep running on the pitch, the crutches get worn down quickly," he said. To date, he has worn out 53 pairs of crutches.

Though He has not become a professional football player, his athletic talent was spotted by the Guangdong provincial athletic team for disabled people in 2012.

He became an track and field athlete and won multiple times as a champion of national competitions.

He participates in the high jump at the 11th National Games for Persons with Disabilities held in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, in October. [CCTV]

In the just concluded 11th National Games for Persons with Disabilities held in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, He won two silver medals — one in the high jump and the other in the long jump .

In his spare time, He often plays football with his friends, and he said his dream is "to form a football team for disabled people" and participate in international competitions.