Visually challenged youth in Wayanad scripts a success story in blind tennis

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.

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.