What is Blind Tennis?
Blind tennis is one of the fastest-growing disability sports in the world. The ball in blind tennis is specially designed. It is slightly larger than an ordinary tennis ball and contains a rattle that makes a sound when it moves. This sound helps you locate the ball. You usually play on a smaller court, with a softer ball and a lower net, giving you enough time to react.
Levels (Classification Categories)
The sport accommodates players with different levels of vision. Players are graded according to their eyesight. B1 for completely blind, and B2, B3 and B4 for partially sighted. Rules of play are adapted to what you need.
Depending on the category you play in, the ball is allowed to bounce 1 to 3 times. Where, for example, B1 and B2 are allowed up to 3 bounces.
During the game, you meet other visually impaired people. It is not just a sport, but also a chance to share experiences, make friends and encourage each other.
Blind and Visually Impaired Tennis in the Netherlands
Blind and visually impaired tennis is an official sport and one of the fastest-growing disability sports in the world. It is currently already played in 27 countries worldwide. The IBTA (International Blind Tennis Association) is working to get the sport paralympic.
Fanny van den Heuvel and Elise Dolmans want to roll out the sport in the Netherlands. They are the initiators of the Foundation for Blind and Visually Impaired Tennis. They will do much more to put blind and visually impaired tennis on the map in the Netherlands. For instance, they want to focus on tournaments at home and abroad. The goal is to take an Orange team to the IBTA World Championships and 2032 Paralympic Games!
On 7 February, you can learn about blind tennis. It will be the demo sport at the ABN AMRO Open tennis tournament that day.
Try-out Days
Would you like to try this sport yourself? You are welcome to attend the special try-out days for blind and visually impaired tennis in Schijndel and Amstelveen. These days are suitable for tennis players of all ages. So come and try it out for free in Schijndel and Amstelveen.
Saturday 22 February 2025, you can visit Sporthal Zuideinderpark in Schijndel between 14:00 and 18:00 and Sunday 23 February between 11:30 and 16:00 in Sportcentrum VU in Amstelveen.
Would you like to be part of this inspiring day? Then sign up quickly by sending an e-mail to Fanny van den Heuvel (medical@internationalblindtennis.org). You can also contact her with any specific questions or needs.
By Inge de Munnik
Article in Dutch can be found here: https://blindfluencers.nl/blindentennis/