Sports
22:25, 27-Jun-2018
Using signs, soccer fans help deaf, blind pals follow World Cup
Updated
22:00, 30-Jun-2018
["other","South America"]
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In Colombia, Jose Richard Gallego lost the ability to see and hear at the age of nine, but his passion for football did not diminish. Fortunately, his friend Cesar Daza was able to tell him what was happening during the World Cup game, using unique hand gestures created by Daza himself.
Daza explained: "We've reached a common understanding. Different gestures have different meanings.”
"I still remember before I lost my sight, I often watched the matches between Santa Fe and Millonarios on TV," Gallego said.
In neighboring Brazil, Renato helped his friend Carlos in the same way. Renato moves Carlos’s hands along the fake pitch as the other friend runs his finger along his back. It’s called haptic communication, a type of non-verbal communication focused on touching. The video, originally shared by Brazilian amateur football team and social project RC Livramento, has had more than two million views.