sports

This Blind Tennis Team Is So Kickass, Nothing's Stopping Them From Dominating The Court!

They aim to introduce the sport in the 2024 Paralympics!

Cover image via Our Better World

Earlier this year, Hock Bee, a Singaporean tennis player had the chance to play with Spain's Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, a former world No.1 and multiple Grand Slam winner, in an exhibition match.

In case, you're wondering what's the big deal? Hock's blind.

Image via OurBetterWorld

Aside from Arantx, he has also played with Andre Agassi, the former world No.1 tennis player

Although ​Hock Bee had the chance to spar with some of tennis' greatest, his wish is for blind tennis to be introduced in the Paralympics - and he aims to do this through Soundball Singapore - an NGO that integrates the sport into the lives of visually impaired.

Soundball is a non-profit organisation made up of volunteers aimed at bringing the sport of tennis to the wider visually impaired community. They aim to introduce the sport in the 2024 Paralympics.

To bring awareness to the cause, Hock Bee and his tennis-playing blind peers often take part in exhibition matches

Hock Bee in action with Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.

Image via Soundball Singapore's Facebook pag

Although limited by the lack of sight, these exhibition matches showcases the skills that these players have.

Soundball, as they call it, is played indoors on a badminton court with special sponge balls that rattle

Image via Cheryl Tay
Image via Cheryl Tay

To help them practice, volunteers fed rattling balls to blind people with racquets. Although the players mostly missed, but it was evident that they and the volunteers believed that hard work and persistence would eventually pay off.

The team practices religiously every Saturday afternoon at Pathlight School, a special school for autistic children

Image via Cheryl Tay
Image via Cheryl Tay

Practice sessions are held from 1pm to 3pm every Saturday.

So, what does Soundball Singapore hope to achieve in the long run?

Image via Cheryl Tay

Soundball Singapore has come a long way, bringing a new sport to Singapore, and giving people whose paths probably wouldn't otherwise cross, an opportunity to connect, learn about each other, and aspire to achieve a shared dream.

They want to introduce the sport to many more blind people and they're aiming to take them to the Paralympics.

ourbetterworld.org

We salute these players for not letting their disability stop them from getting into a sport they love!

Image via Imugr

The group's spirit and dedication is infectious. WATCH:

For more updates, you can follow Soundball Singapore here

In China, Jia Haixa, a blind man, and his friend Jia Wenqi, a double amputee. Both, aged 53, have planted 10,000 trees in Hebei, China:

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