Blind Tennis Star Naqi Rizvi Advocates for Paralympic Inclusion and Mainstream Recognition
Source: news.source.tempo_ph
Naqi Rizvi, a blind tennis champion, is actively campaigning for greater awareness and inclusion of blind tennis in the Paralympic Games and mainstream tournaments. As the world's top-ranked men's player in his category, Rizvi emphasizes the sport's technical demands and the freedom it provides him on the court. Despite the sport's global presence and growth, it faces challenges such as limited financial support and visibility, which Rizvi hopes to address to elevate blind tennis to the level of other disability sports like wheelchair tennis.
Key Points
Naqi Rizvi, a blind tennis champion, seeks to increase awareness and push for blind tennis's inclusion in the Paralympic Games.
Rizvi, fully blind since age 7, finds absolute freedom and joy in playing tennis, highlighting its technical nature and the problem-solving skills it requires.
The sport, which originated in Japan in 1984, has a global following but struggles with visibility and financial support.
Blind tennis follows similar rules to mainstream tennis but with adaptations like tactile lines and a bell in the ball.
Rizvi calls for greater support from governing bodies to achieve parity with other disability sports like wheelchair tennis.
He aspires for blind tennis to be part of the ATP Tour and Grand Slam tournaments, emphasizing its potential for mainstream recognition.
