A Bangladeshi football fan who lost both legs in a horror train accident has dreams of competing professionally like his idol Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mohammad Abdullah, 22, lost his legs on a speeding train ten years ago. But now the young man, who also works as a luggage porter at a ferry station is making a name for himself with his football skills.
He said: “I never thought I’d be able to walk, never mind play football. When I was bound to that wheelchair I feared I might have to spend the rest of my life trapped. But eventually I decided to try and do without it. I was determined to be independent so I began trying to walk.
“I was tired of seeing myself in that helpless condition. I faced difficulties initially but succeeded eventually. Now I can walk, work and play football like other people.”
Abdullah was abandoned by his mother when he was just seven and was raised by his father and step-mother before running away from home.
“I missed my mother so much I ran away from home,” he said. “I was angry and helpless. I lived on the road and begged for a living and after a couple of months I found a home with my grandmother.”
In 2001, the young man was travelling on a train and was trying to reach another carriage when he slipped and had his legs trapped under the wheels of the speeding machine. He was rushed to hospital but eventually lost his legs below the thigh.
According to Daily Mail UK, a football coach who later discovered him has helped him pursue his football passion and encouraged him to practice.
Abdullah now plays football at the National Stadium in Bangladesh on a basic level and despite having no legs he can play a good game.
“People are amazed when they see me play football. They ask: “How can someone play football with no legs?” But I show them the strength inside of me. My disability is not a barrier to succeed and be happy,” he said.
