Cover image via Our Better WorldEarlier 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.
Image via Soundball Singapore's Facebook pag
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
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
We salute these players for not letting their disability stop them from getting into a sport they love!
Image via Imugr
