Blind tennis is still a little-known sport in Italy, but one that combines technique, concentration, and inclusion. Originally created in Japan, it is played with a ball containing small bells that allow blind and visually impaired athletes to orient themselves on the court.

Through Luca Parravano’s story, we discover the challenges this sport is facing today — from the limited number of athletes to the lack of support — but also its incredible potential.

A concrete opportunity to get closer to this world will be the Final Stage of the Italian Championship, taking place in Milan on May 9 and 10. An open invitation to discover, support, and experience a sport that deserves more visibility. 💛

The sound that changes the game: blind tennis and Luca’s story

There are sports you watch.

And then there are sports you listen to.

Blind tennis belongs to the second category: here, the sound of the ball guides movement, directs the body, and activates intuition. It is a sport that is still not widely known in Italy, but one with a powerful story and an energy capable of changing perspectives.

Sharing this story with us is Luca Parravano, representative of the discipline for Gruppo Sportivi Non Vedenti Milano, an organization affiliated with FISPIC and active in promoting different sports disciplines for blind and visually impaired people, including baseball.

His story is not only about sport. It is a concrete reflection on inclusion, opportunities, and the future.

What is blind tennis?

Blind tennis was created around 40 years ago in Japan, thanks to the idea of a young tennis player who, after losing his sight, decided not to give up his passion. The idea was simple yet revolutionary: placing small bells inside the ball, making it possible to follow it through sound.

Over time, the game developed with adapted rules: additional bounces depending on the level of visual impairment, tactile lines on the court, and classifications designed to guarantee fairness.

Blind tennis arrived in Italy in 2017, mainly in the northern regions. Today, there are only around 20–30 active athletes: a number that shows how little known this sport still is.

The average age of players is quite high, and younger people often struggle to discover the discipline due to a lack of information, limited truly inclusive sports opportunities in schools, and practical challenges such as transportation.

The result? Fewer opportunities to discover the sport and fewer new athletes joining.

Classifications and the long-awaited championship in May

Blind tennis includes different categories:

• B1 category – where completely blind athletes like Luca compete;
• B2, B3, and B4 categories – for visually impaired athletes with different levels of residual vision.

Luca explains that for athletes competing in the B1 category, the court is smaller (6×12 meters), while for the other categories it is closer to standard tennis court dimensions.

In Milan, Luca and his teammates train in the Loreto area, and this is where, on May 9 and 10, at the Scuola Secondaria S. Caterina da Siena, the B1 championship finals will take place, thanks to the school providing the space free of charge.

The B2, B3, and B4 categories will compete on the same dates in a dedicated sports center.

Despite organizational challenges and the lack of incentives — especially for visually impaired players’ categories — the championship will happen: athletes from all over Italy will travel to compete, covering their own travel and accommodation expenses.

A clear sign of how alive and meaningful this sport is, even when resources are limited.

Luca’s story: a new perspective

Luca arrived in Milan in 2020. He lost his sight as an adult due to a genetic retinal condition, gradually over time. This allowed him to face this change with awareness, reorganizing his life step by step.

It was his partner who introduced him to blind tennis.

After his first season in Rome, he joined the team at Lampi ASD Milano, where he began his sports journey by playing baseball for blind people before also moving into blind tennis.

Since 2021, he has been regularly practicing and competing in both sports with dedication and passion.

During our conversation, Luca said something that really stayed with us:

“I am able to do more things than before. Not because of my disability, but because of the opportunities and relationships that sport has opened up for me.”

For Luca, blindness was not a strength in itself — but it certainly became a turning point, one from which he was able to recognize new possibilities and positive changes.

He decided to share his story for this exact reason: to give visibility to a sport that changed his life and that deserves to be discovered.

Because blind tennis is not just a discipline.

It is a space for autonomy, growth, and new possibilities.

And maybe its future starts exactly here: with people choosing to listen to it, support it, and — on May 9 and 10 — experience it in person. 💛

All detailed information about the event is available on the website:
https://www.gsdnonvedentimilano.org/

We hope to see many of you there.

See you soon 💛