2024 IBTA European Open Championships - Poland (FAQ)
What are the IBTA World Championships?
The World Championships event is IBTA’s largest sanctioned tennis tournament for athletes with visual impairment. The main requirement for hosting a World Championships is to have at least eight countries participating from three continents.
Last year’s world championships were held in Krakow, Poland. The event had 90 competitors representing 14 nations from 4 continents. This year, over 120 competitors representing 17 countries from 6 continents will be participating at the event in Italy
Who will organise the IBTA World Championships in 2024?
IBTA governs and promotes tennis for athletes with visual impairments worldwide. As part of a yearly bidding process, member countries submit their bids to organise and host the World Championships.
Italy has been selected to host this year’s IBTA World Championships.
When are the IBTA World Championships taking place? What Are The Key Events Dates?
The tournament will take place from 23-29 September 2024. The opening ceremony will be held on Tuesday 24 September and the closing ceremony on Sunday 28 September. Depending on arrivals and departures, there is no expectation for players to attend both the opening and closing ceremonies.
There will be 2 days reserved for classification from 23-24 September and the competition will run from 24-28 September. Athletes needing classification will be expected to arrive onsite beforehand.
Official Arrival and Check-In: 22-23 September
Opening Ceremony: 24 September
Competition: 24-28 September
Closing Ceremony: 28 September
Official Departure Available From: 29 September
What Accommodation Will Be Provided?
Bella Italia Efa Village Sport & Family www.bellaitaliavillage.com will be the official hotel for the 2024 IBTA World Championships. The hotel address is Viale Centrale, 29, 33054 Lignano Sabbiadoro UD, Italy.
The hotel offers several services including a private beach, a water park, a swimming pool, and numerous sports facilities (football, tennis, showdown, goalball, judo, basket, volleyball, fitness, etc.).
Transport will be provided from the official hotel to the tennis venues each day.
What Are the Competition’s Sight Categories, Events, Format and Draw Size?
The tournament is open to B1, B2, B3, B4 and B4/Open players. There will be Singles and Doubles events for both adults and juniors. Juniors are players under the age of 18.
A final decision on the format will be based on the number of entries and taken once the entry deadline has passed. The junior competition format will depend on number of classified players under the age of 18.
The draw size will be determined once we have an indication of the number of entries. This step will be taken in consultation with the local organizing committee (LOC) based on the capacity of the venues.
ibta world championships – italy 2024
How Many Players Can Enter The Event and What Are The Criteria?
Both IBTA and Italy’s local organisers remain committed to giving as many athletes as possible the chance to compete in the 2024 IBTA World Championships. In the event of the tournament being oversubscribed, we will need to place a limit on entries due the capacity of the venues.
Entries are based on early expressions of interest and paid entry fees during the registration. Priority will be given to players who hold a current IBTA world ranking followed by players nominated by affiliated member associations as well as national federations then wildcards.
New nationally ranked players can be nominated by their respective associations or federations based on 2024 national championships or qualifiers held prior to the tournament in Italy.
What Is The Age Limit For Taking Part In The Adult Competition?
Whilst the minimum age is 14, IBTA will be issuing a wildcard to young and talented athletes adequately prepared for high performance competition.
What Surface Will Be Used For The Tennis Competition?
The B1 matches will be played on parquet surface. The B2, B3 and B4 matches will be played on Play-It play flex surface.
Will Patching Be Required For B1 Players In Addition To Their Eyeshades?
Yes, IBTA regulations now require patching for B1 athletes.
Who Will Officiate The World Championships Matches?
Licensed Italian Tennis Federation officials and an IBTA approved referees will oversee the tournament. Each match will have a qualified chair umpire.
Will The Event Be Live-Streamed?
Yes, the tournament matches will be live-streamed on Youtube/Facebook/Instagram channels.
Can A Country Representative Enter As A Playing Athlete?
Country Representatives who meet the tournament’s entry criteria are eligible to compete as players. If a Country Representative is not eligible to enter as a player, he/she would need to register to attend the World Championships similar to other accredited participants.
Will Players Need To Submit Documentation In Advance?
All competitors must submit a completed Medical Diagnosis Form (MDF) by the registration deadline if their review date is on or before 28 September 2024. The IBTA Classification team will review the MDFs in advance of the onsite classification event. Onsite classification is scheduled from 23-24 September just before the start of the competition.
Blank MDFs are available via email by sending a request to: mdf@internationalblindtennis.org
Do All Registrations Have To Be Routed Via A Country Representative?
Expressions of interest may be received from players in countries where there is no Country Representative. It is therefore not a mandatory requirement at the point of application. Details of the number of entries received will be shared with the Country Representatives.
Will There Be Any Financial Support Available For Participants?
All participants will need to access their own financial support from their home countries. There will be no grants available to players from either IBTA or the other partner organisations.
What are the latest deadlines for registration?
The deadline for athletes to submit an expression of interest is 31 May 2024. Final registration of players must be completed by 31 July 2024.
Do the players have to pay a registration fee or is everything included in a participation fee?
The participation fees per person below cover registration, accommodation, accreditation, meals, and transport both to/from the venue during the competition. The same participation fee applies for coaches, companions, carers, family members and country representatives.
- 980,00 € per person in FB triple room (6 nights)
- 1080,00 € per person in FB double room (6 nights)
- 1180,00 € per person in FB single room (6 nights)
There is a one-off capitation fee of 25 €. This is an IBTA enforced fee that all athletes must pay in order to compete this year.
Is there a cancellation fee?
If you are not able to attend due to an emergency, please contact Renato Tomei at worldblindtennis24@gmail.com or send an email to italy2024@internationalblindtennis.org
Does every player need to be classified onsite in Italy?
If a B1 player has C (Confirmed) status then he/she does not need to be classified onsite. This also applies to any athlete with a R2025 review status or later who has been classified by an IBTA international classifier. All players with fixed year status or an expired status prior to 29 September 2024 would need to attend classification onsite.
How long does an MDF last?
The MDF is an essential document that underpins the whole classification process. Currently, this is valid for 12 months.
Do you need to submit additional medical information?
This will depend on the eye condition the player has. The second part of the MDF should set out what additional information is required.
When is the deadline for submission of the Medical Diagnostic Forms (MDFs) to IBTA?
The deadline for submitting MDFs is 12 August 2024. IBTA is offering to preview all the players’ MDFs at no cost before arrival onsite. This will give an opportunity to identify any issues and allow time to take any corrective action.
Players are encouraged to submit their MDFs and any supporting documentation as soon as these are ready. If the MDFs are received after the deadline, IBTA will do its best to preview them in a timely manner but this will depend on the total numbers received. IBTA does not guarantee that late MDFs will be evaluated together with any remedial action in time for the World Championships.
Please send and email to mdf@internationalblindtennis.org if you are experiencing delays in submitting your MDF.
What Is Provisional Classification?
Based on the information in the MDF, IBTA will allocate a provisional or temporary sight classification to players who require onsite classification. Provisional classification can also be a national classification. Provisional classification is essential for event planning and determining draw sizes. The onsite classification panel may correct a provisional classification.
Can a Visually Impaired player who also has hearing loss enter the tournament?
The level of sight loss is the sole criteria for determining which category a player is assigned to.
Can a formal letter of invitation be provided to Country Representatives attending the World Championships?
Please send an email to italy2024@internationalblindtennis.org and IBTA will issue a formal letter or a visa request support letter.
What happens if the entry numbers exceed the venue capacity?
IBTA, in consultation with the local organising committee, will make a decision about the final entry numbers once the Expressions of Interest forms have been reviewed.
Will there be a limit imposed on the number of players from each country allowed to participate in the IBTA World Championships?
A decision will be taken on this once the Expressions of Interest forms have been reviewed.
Can players chose accommodation outside the official hotel of the World Championships?
IBTA and the local organisers are highly recommending that all players stay in the official tournament hotel due to the event logistics. Players staying outside the official hotel are responsible for their own meals and transportation.
Can non-players organise their own accommodation?
Supporters or country officials are not required to stay in the official tournament hotel but they are responsible for their own meals and transportation.
When is the formal onsite classification carried out?
Onsite classification is currently planned to take place from 23-24 September 2024. Classification will be done under the IBTA rules and procedures and will be carried out by IBTA/IBSA/IPC certified classifiers.
If you have any questions, please contact info@internationalblindtennis.org