In the buzzing heart of Goa’s Fatorda Stadium during the Indian Super League semifinal on April 6, amidst the chants, cheers, and blaring horns, a quieter but profoundly touching moment was unfolding in the stands. Perched on a row just behind the team benches, sat three die-hard Sunil Chhetri fans — but what they were doing wasn’t just watching a football match. It was storytelling in its purest form!
Meet Anugrah TS, goalkeeper, football fanatic, and, on this magical evening, narrator-in-chief. Representing the Kerala Blind Football team, Anugrah came to the stadium with his teammates Abhishek and Akhil Lal, who are both visually impaired. Armed with nothing but his passion and a voice full of excitement, Anugrah turned play-by-play commentator for his friends, painting every pass, dribble, foul, and near-miss in vibrant detail. From the roar of the crowd to the sudden hush of a missed chance, no detail was missed.
The match being narrated between Bengaluru FC and FC Goa was nothing short of a thriller. With the aggregate score tied at 2-2, the tension in the stadium was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Then, like the grand finale of a football fairy tale, Chhetri burst into the box and dove in for a sensational header during stoppage time, sealing a 3-2 win for Bengaluru FC. As the stadium erupted, Anugrah’s voice rose over the chaos, capturing the emotion, the madness and the glory of the moment — delivering it straight into the hearts of Abhishek and Akhil. Their faces lit up, arms shot into the air, and just like that, three friends were united in a moment of football magic, each in their own way.
The scene didn’t go unnoticed. A bystander captured a clip of the trio, and it wasn’t long before it found its way to Bengaluru FC’s official social media page. The club posted it with the caption: “Anugrah TS is a goalkeeper who represents the Kerala Blind Football team. On Sunday night at the Fatorda, he narrated the game that was to teammates Abhishek and Akhil Lal, who have no vision. Die-hard fans of Sunil Chhetri, they came on a night when the skipper would be the one to give them a reason to celebrate! ♥️Football and these stories!”
From there, the internet did what the internet does best: it melted. “Football ❌ Emotion ✅,” one user quipped. Another wrote, “If this is not passion, we don’t know what is! ” And perhaps the most touching comment of all: “We may argue, fight and cheer for different teams, but in the end, we’re all one thing—football lovers. Respect ❤️.” Even the Indian Super League chimed in, celebrating the trio’s bond and their love for the game by saying, “If this is not passion, we don’t know what is!”
Anugrah, Abhishek, and Akhil didn’t just watch a match. They reminded the nation that football isn’t just about goals and trophies — it’s about friendship, inclusion, and the sheer joy of sharing something you love. And sometimes, all it takes is one kind voice in the crowd to make the game come alive for someone else.
