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Blind Tennis History
Mr Takei worked tirelessly at developing a tennis ball specifically tailored for the blind. His devotion to the sport drew many supporters who joined him in his work. In 1990, the first ever tournament for the visually impaired was held in Japan. Over a 21-year span, Mr Takei was National Champion on 16 occasions. His long term dream and legacy was that blind tennis continues to grow and be played all over the world by as many people as possible.
“We have to take responsibility both for success and failure,” Mr Takei said at a lecture on the sport in 2007. He stressed the importance of independence for the visually impaired in both sport and everyday life. Blind Tennis – also known as Sound Ball – is now played in Europe, North America, Latin America, and across Asia-Pacific.
Miyoshi Takei lost his life in a tragic accident at a Tokyo train station on January 16th 2011. The Blind Tennis founder died at the age of 42, but the sport continues to build momentum as it targets inclusion at the Paralympics.
Past IBTA Advisor (Ayako Matsui)
Ayako Matsui heard about blind tennis in 2000 when she worked at a school for the blind and the visually impaired in Saitama, near Tokyo. Miyoshi Takei invented blind tennis at school in 1984 when he was just 16 years old. Ayako has loved playing tennis since she was a junior student in high school and blind tennis inspired her. In 2003, she established a club to teach tennis to visually impaired children.
Image Gallery
Miyoshi Takei Playing Blind Tennis
