Editorial Team

Students who are blind or vision impaired at the University of Cadi Ayyad in Marrakech were introduced to blind tennis as part of an introductory session organized by the regional university sports program for the 2024-25 school year. University students were given the opportunity to try out blind and visually impaired tennis and sign up in the university’s first adaptive sports program. Mr Mahir Samir, IBTA President and Mr Diouane Essaid, Blind Tennis Coach, led an introductory session on this discipline which enables vision impaired students to enjoy their favourite sport. Whether it’s through blind tennis or adaptive sport, everyone can achieve their full potential on a tennis court.

The International Blind Tennis Association recognizes International Day of Persons with Disabilities, observed on December 3rd and promotes full and meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities in every aspect of daily living. IBTA is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities are treated with dignity and have every opportunity to reach their full potential on and off the court. Our mission is to engage people who are blind or vision impaired to pursue healthy lifestyles and enable them to be part of active communities worldwide. The annual observance of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3rd was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1992. This day aims to elevate the understanding of disability issues across all aspects of life, including social and economic contexts. Our organisation remains committed to promoting the rights of people with disabilities and making sports and tennis accessible to all.

The International Blind Tennis Association (IBTA) announced its new leadership team for the 2025-26 term. The following members were elected to serve on the IBTA Executive Committee. President: Samir Mahir (USA) Vice President: Anthony Martins Misse (France) Secretary: Jagwe Muzafaru (Uganda) Head of Technical: Simon McFarland (Ireland) Head of Medical: Fanny van den Heuvel (Netherlands) Head of PR and Marketing: Nathalia Benavides (Colombia) Head of Finance: Karolis Verbliugevičius (Lithuania) According to Mahir, “IBTA is going through a transition phase and an important period of growth. I look forward to working closely with our new Executive Committee members to continue building key partnerships, supporting our athletes, and developing our adaptive sport globally.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE19 September 2024 The International Blind Tennis Association (IBTA) is proud to announce its partnership with Flexday, a rising enterprise AI company, as its Official Technology Partner. With offices in the U.S., Canada, and India, Flexday brings a global team of AI specialists and data scientists to support IBTA’s mission of making tennis accessible to blind and visually impaired athletes. After careful evaluation, IBTA selected Flexday for its innovative approach to AI and technology- driven solutions that align with the IBTA’s goals of inclusion, fair play, and community engagement. This partnership reflects IBTA’s forward-thinking vision for the future of blind tennis. “Partnering with Flexday is a pivotal step in ensuring that the future of blind tennis incorporates leading-edge technology and innovation,” said Samir Mahir, President of the IBTA. “Accessibility and AI-powered solutions play a crucial role in improving how we manage our operations to support our athletes globally.” Flexday will provide AI-driven solutions that enhance IBTA’s processes, enabling more efficient workflows and player support, thus helping IBTA reach more athletes worldwide. “We are honored to partner with IBTA and contribute to their incredible mission,” said Sujit Goswami, CEO of Flexday. “Our AI solutions are designed to empower organizations, and we’re excited to see how we can support the IBTA in its growth.” About IBTA: The International Blind Tennis Association (IBTA) is the global governing body for blind and visually impaired tennis, working with over 25 countries to ensure the sport is accessible to all. Their mission is to promote healthy lifestyles, inclusion, and fair play through adaptive tennis. About Flexday: Flexday is an enterprise AI company based in Naperville, IL, with offices in California, Canada, and India. Flexday’s… Read More »IBTA Partners with Flexday as Official Technology Partner

Over 60 players will participate in the inaugural IBTA European Open Championships in Poland. Athletes from 14 countries and 6 continents have entered the event, which will take place in the city of Grodzisk Mazowiecki, located 50 km from Warsaw. The open tournament, organised by the ‘Foundation We See Differently’, will be held September 14-20, 2024. The open tournament which will serve as a warm-up event for the IBTA World Championships in Italy, allows participation from players from different continents. Matches will be played on 6 courts at the beautiful facility of the Tennis Academy Tenis Kozerki (https://www.teniskozerki.pl/). Players and officials will be staying at the hotel and cottages located on the same property.  

IBTA is pleased to announce its new partnership with printassassins.com as the official distributor of IBTA merchandise. Take advantage of the 15% pre-sale discount on all products by visiting the IBTA Online Shop.

IBTA is pleased to announce that the 2024 World Championships will be hosted by Italy. FISPIC, the Italian Paralympic Federation for the Visually Impaired, has been selected to organise this year’s championships. The event will take place in Lignano Sabbiadoro located 95 km (59 miles) from Venice airport. The event dates are from 25-29 September with classification planned for the 23rd and 24th. The official hotel for the championships is the Bella Italia Efa Village Sport & Family in Lignano Sabbiadoro. Congratulations to the FISPIC team! Further information about the event and registration to follow.

World Blindness Awareness Month is an opportunity to pay tribute to the accomplishments of people who are blind or have low vision and to increase public knowledge about the resources and services available for people experiencing vision loss. IBTA would like to thank all our colleagues involved in developing and promoting our sport worldwide. Below are some of the initiatives that were organized to promote our sport throughout the month. Luxembourg https://www.rtl.lu/sport/news/a/2129303.html Argentina https://www.facebook.com/groups/ibtatennis/permalink/990315138935321/ https://telenueve.elnueve.com.ar/mediodia/27817-la-conmovedora-historia-de-roberto-rivas-de-campeon-de-automovilismo-tenista-ciego India https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/wellbeing/soundball-the-tennis-game-breaking-stereotypes-about-the-blind-in-india-1.1090082 Germany https://www.facebook.com/BlindentennisDeutschland/posts/810453751090439 Lithuania https://www.ziniuradijas.lt/laidos/labas-milda/ar-gyvenime-tikrai-nera-nieko-neimanomo Peru https://fb.watch/n-HW_pzB5P/ Italy https://www.facebook.com/groups/1359388731668727/permalink/1378369066437360/?mibextid=oMANbw

Vodafone, the Official Connectivity Partner of Wimbledon,is piloting new 5G-powered GiveVision headsets on both Centre Court and No. 1 Court at The Championships this year. GiveVision enhances the remaining sight of people with low vision, allowing them to follow live events and enjoy the onsite experience with friends and family. Wimbledon is the first Grand Slam event pioneering assistive technology with Virtual Reality (VR) that allows visually impaired fans to watch live tennis like never before. More organisations are investing in purpose-driven innovation to deliver significant benefits to their customers providing an inclusive experience and culture.  Find out more about this great initiative on: https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/articles/2023-07-06/vodafone_5g_gives_visually_impaired_tennis_fans_worldfirst_experience.html

Blind and Visually Impaired Tennis (BVI) was featured at the USTA 2023 Diverse Coaches Development Summit in Orlando, Florida. The summit, held at the USTA National Campus, is a gathering of leaders, influencers, and advocates committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in our sport. The aim was to engage more female coaches, target underrepresented groups and help underserved communities. The USTA focused on attracting and engaging diverse providers by developing more certified tennis coaches, community coaches & coach developers. The event also provided on-court Blind Tennis workshops led by David Dilettuso (USBTA) and Samir Mahir (IBTA). Over 70 coaches from all over the United States attended the 2023 summit.