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Blind tennis

Tennis for the Blind and Visually Impaired, called Blind Tennis, or VI Tennis, was invented and initiated in Japan in 1984 by Miyoshi Takei, who became an elite player himself. The first ever tennis tournament for the visually impaired took place in Japan, 1990.

Today Blind Tennis is organized by The International Blind Tennis Association (IBTA).

The dream of Miyoshi Takei was that Blind Tennis would one day become a Paralympic Sport; and with its increasing popularity this is highly likely!

See Miyoshi Takei play tennis at: https://youtu.be/5EEWKpunoHU

In recent years Blind Tennis has developed and grown, especially in the Anglo-Saxon countries, where VI Tennis is often part of the National Tennis Association.

Blind Tennis is fun to play and has a huge social aspect, as players often meet at camps and festivals.

Watch the great introductory film about Blind Tennis here on the right.

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BLIND TENNIS RULES

Blind tennis adapts ordinary tennis in several ways:

  • The court is often downsized (to the size of a badminton court) and the net is placed in a slightly lower position.
  • The boundaries of the court are marked by a tactile marking band.
  • The ball is a sponge ball (ø 9 cm) equipped with a mechanical sound device in its centre.
  • The racquet may have a shorter handle (a junior racket).
  • The players may let the ball bounce up to 3 times before they must return it back to their opponent.
  • Players are classified according to their visual ability, ranking from B1 (totally blind) to B5.

MASKS

Handi Life Sport also offers glasses and masks that are used to ensure that none of the participants can see in the various sports for visually impaired.

We offer our excellent Justa Blind Sports Mask and polyester masks (red or black). The Justa Blind Sports Mask, are used for goalball, showdown, football for the Blind (5-a-side) and other kinds of blind sports.

The masks can also be used for teambuilding and sensory exercise.

More information about the eyeshades in our shop

REFERENCES