Perseverance and hard work are the key factors in the extraordinary triumph of Nibin Mathew, a visually challenged youth from a farming community in Wayanad.
He won the bronze medal in blind tennis at the World Games of International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) that concluded in Birmingham in the United Kingdom recently.
Nibin, born partially blind, lost vision in his left eye at the age of 10 when a cricket ball struck his eye while playing at home. In 2012, he lost vision in his right eye due to glaucoma, becoming totally blind.
Though he played blind cricket and chess during college days, his primary focus was on education. While working with the Central Railway in Mumbai in 2019, he attended a blind tennis workshop in Mumbai.
“The camp was led by the International Blind Tennis Association and it inspired me,” says Nibin, 29. An IT professional, he now works as a digital accessibility specialist at Bosch Global Software Technologies (BGSW).
“While working in Mumbai, I developed my skills in tennis and Western violin, achieving a Trinity College London grade,” he says.
“Some of us used to practice at the IIT Mumbai tennis court after the blind tennis camp. These initial experiences were wonderful and, over time, I developed a passion for the game,” he says.
“Blind lawn tennis is an adaptive version of classic tennis in which the tennis ball emits a tingling sound that players must listen to and return. The tennis court is equipped with tactile markings to assist players in orienting themselves on the court. We will be using the regular ITF-approved tennis racket and using lower net height,” says Nibin.
“While I was doing postgraduation at IIIT Bengaluru, I received support from the institute. I participated in the national blind tennis championship and emerged champion in the fully blind category,” he says.
“Relocating to Coimbatore, I trained at the Sai Tennis Academy. My coaches here helped me become a stronger athlete for the IBSA games,” he says.
“While representing the country on the international stage, I was sponsored by private companies such as BGSW. We need more support from the government and sports organisations in developing this game,” says Nibin.
