Powerchair football is a fast-paced, inclusive team sport in which players with physical disabilities use powered wheelchairs fitted with foot guards to manoeuvre a large ball and score goals against the opposing team.
This October, the French national team achieved what no other nation has ever done before: clinching a historic third consecutive world title after triumphs in 2017 and 2023 in the FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup, held in Buenos Aires.
For Noël Zeren, an elite player representing the French club AS Upsilon Châtenay-Malabry, this World Cup gold medal is the pinnacle of an athletic journey. 31 year old Zeren was part of coach D. Vergé’s official eight-man roster at the World Cup in Buenos Aires. Listed as No. 21 in the official match reports, he contributed to France's historic campaign as the team went unbeaten through the tournament to claim the title.
Zeren was born with arthrogryposis, a congenital disease that blocks the development of joints and muscles, both in the upper and lower limbs. He has undergone about thirty operations, but says that today his condition is stable. "Sport is my freedom. I discovered it at the age of 12. My parents were very worried at the time, they were afraid for me. But today, they are my first supporters", he said in a comment to a French newspaper about his life. His message to people with disabilities is: "You can play sports regardless of your level of mobility. You just have to dare to exceed your own limits!".
