for 24 Jan, 11:22
Other sports
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OSS | Playing table tennis as a blind or partially sighted person may sound difficult, but it is still very accessible. At table tennis club OTTC in Oss, a new Showdown table has recently been made available especially for people who have little or no vision. It all started with an idea from Bart Mink, who became visually impaired in 2008 and started looking for ways to exercise in the region.
Bart used to play badminton a lot, but that was no longer possible after he became visually impaired in 2008. He started looking for other ways to exercise. “The answer to my question was pushed away in the corner at a rehabilitation clinic in Apeldoorn. It was a showdown table. It started with one game to kill time until the bar opened, but I got the hang of it straight away.”
Showdown resembles a combination of table tennis and air hockey, but also has significant differences from both. In any case, the game is played with an elongated bat, instead of a round table tennis bat or an air hockey pusher. And you play it in a large box, you slide the ball just like in air hockey and try to get it into your opponent’s goal.”
One of the most important rules is: you are not allowed to see anything during the game. Everyone wears tinted ski goggles while playing. “This way everyone is equal,” says Bart. “For example, I am visually impaired, but you also play the game against people who are completely blind or can see everything. If we all wear the same glasses, the game remains fair.” And how do you know where the ball is? “It has a bell in it. It runs entirely on sound. This may even give visually impaired and blind people like me an advantage! We are used to doing things by ear.”
Bart wanted to practice the sport closer to home. Through contacts at the SEC and Proeftuin Ussen, he ended up at Table Tennis Club OTTC, which made space available for him to play at Sports Center de Rusheuvel. He received compensation for the Showdown table from the Dirk Kuyt Foundation, which supports initiatives within disability sports in the Netherlands.
“I cannot thank everyone who contributed enough,” says Bart, visibly moved. “Sport is so important. It is more than just a way to stay healthy. It also provides social contacts.” Bart hopes that more people will want to try Showdown. “If I have one teammate, I’m happy! But my dream is to get enough players together that we can one day organize a tournament.”
The showdown table will be officially put into use at OTTC at Macharenseweg 24 in Oss on Wednesday, February 11 at 10.30 am. Everyone is welcome to try a game.
