Photos: The unstoppable amputee football teams of Ecuador

The FIFA 2018 World Cup kicks off today in Russia. And while Ecuador’s national team hasn’t qualified for the tournament this time, passions over the game were just as high at the recently concluded second national tournament for amputee football held in the capital Quito. Six teams comprising a total of 72 players, including two women, competed in the tournament, which was won by a local Quito team, Android. Many of the athletes chasing behind the ball were using crutches. Others were missing arms. But a love for the game made no difference to their enthusiasm.

Updated on: Jun 14, 2018 9:34 AM IST

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Robin Burbano controls the ball during a game against El Empalme as part of the national football tournament, in Quito, Ecuador. The players raced down the field chasing a ball and trying to kick it into their opponents’ goal. Unlike most players the world over, many of these athletes competed while using crutches. Others were missing arms. (Dolores Ochoa / AP)

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David Arguello of the Android club controls the ball while balancing himself with crutches, at a match against Fuerzas. The action came in Ecuador’s just-completed second football tournament for amputees, and even though the country’s national team didn’t qualify for the World Cup in Russia, the enthusiasm of players and fans here was contagious. (Dolores Ochoa / AP)

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Six teams competed in the tournament, won by the local Quito team Android, seen celebrating here. Football for amputees was started in the early 1980s by Don Bennett, a sportsman from Seattle who lost a leg in a boating accident, the American Amputee Soccer Association says. The first international tournament was held in 1984, and the game is now played in 40 countries. (Dolores Ochoa / AP)

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Rodrigo Ramirez (R), of El Empalme, snatches controls of the ball from Wilson Tianga of Android, during their finals game. Just taking off in Ecuador, the game has gotten a big boost from president Lenin Moreno, a paraplegic who uses a wheelchair and was a major force for the rights of the disabled around the world as the United Nations’ envoy on disability and accessibility. (Dolores Ochoa / AP)

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Wilson Tianga is carried off after an injury. Jhonatan Chico, a 30-year-old who lost his leg in a traffic accident and plays for Quinsaloma was another competitor. A team fields just seven players at a time, so he has the dual role of forward and defender. “When we’re so few on the field, we all have to do a little bit of everything,” he said laughing. (Dolores Ochoa / AP)

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Players from the Manta Club rest as one gets physical therapy attention. Some of the players who competed at the tournament in Quito are hoping to be selected for a national team that will compete in the 15th World Amputee Football Federation’s World Cup being held later this year in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Dolores Ochoa / AP)

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A young fan of the El Empalme team stands with players. “I want to show the world I can be the Messi of the amputees,” said a smiling Holger Velez, 28, the playmaker for El Empalme. (Dolores Ochoa / AP)

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The El Empalme team, celebrates victory over Fuerzas Armadas and classifying to the next round. 23-year-old Edin Carrion had come from the Amazon to play goalkeeper for Guerreros. He lost part of his left arm four years ago after suffering an electric shock. “I have to bandage up what remains to comply with the rules,” he said. “But when you’re passionate about soccer you’ll do whatever it takes.” (Dolores Ochoa / AP)

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Members of the Android football team celebrate with their trophy after winning the championship game. More seriously, Jhonatan Chico said, “what’s most important is to kick the ball, and kick it strongly, we play with our hearts, out of a love for sport and to overcome our own limitations.” (Dolores Ochoa / AP)