Tennis for the blind and visually impaired, called blind tennis or VI (visually impaired) tennis, was invented in Japan in 1984. A distinctive feature is a smaller court, a larger soft and rattling ball, enlarged rackets for athletes.
History of Blind Tennis
Mioshi Takei was only one and a half years old when he became completely blind. This did not prevent him from doing a lot of sports - along with his three brothers, Takei played football and baseball. But most of all he liked tennis. “I really liked the sound of the racket hitting the ball. People who play tennis know this pleasant sound. And I thought that I could play if I hear the ball during its flight, ”said the Japanese.
In 1984, 16-year-old Mioshi began designing a tennis ball for the blind at a specialized school with a physical education teacher. The first tennis ball for blind players appeared in the Tokyo Sports Center for the Disabled as a sponge ball 9 centimeters in diameter, with a built-in Showdown rattling ball.
Takei organized the first tennis tournament for the blind in Japan in 1990 and won it many times.
Blind tennis today
Blind Tennis is fun to play and has a huge social aspect as players often meet at camps for training camps and competitions. Tennis for the blind has become especially widespread in Japan and Britain, but is gradually conquering more and more countries and continents.