Blind table tennis takes spotlight at QF’s Ladies Night

The Qatar Cultural Centre for the Blind hosted a blind table tennis activation at Qatar Foundation (QF)’s Ladies Night at Education City Stadium, highlighting the power of inclusive sport and encouraging women and girls to stay active.The QF Ladies Night offers a vibrant, inclusive space for women and girls aged six and above to try new sports and connect with others through a variety of free fitness classes and activities."Qatar Foundation has been a pioneer in supporting Qatari women in sports,” Maryam al-Kuwari, the events and activities supervisor at the Qatar Cultural Centre for the Blind, said. "This collaboration helps promote sports for blind women as part of a healthy lifestyle, while also increasing awareness and acceptance of inclusive athletic opportunities.”"This partnership provides a socially inclusive and culturally sensitive space for blind girls to engage in physical activity,” she said. " It fosters their integration and empowers them through safe and supportive sporting environments.”Blind table tennis is an adapted form of the sport played on a longer table with raised side edges and a ball that contains a bell for sound-based tracking.Players use rectangular bats and roll the ball under a wooden barrier that replaces the traditional net.The game relies entirely on auditory cues, with players using sound to follow and respond to the ball’s movement."I have been playing table tennis for one year,” said participant Amal Adam. "My friends taught me how to play, and it’s very enjoyable. We have to rely on our ears – we listen because we can’t see – so we need to concentrate on the sound. I play with lots of friends.”"I’m very happy to be here at the Education City Stadium and I am enjoying it a lot,” she said. "It’s my first time at QF’s Ladies Night, and it’s a special experience for me. I’d definitely like to come back.”Providing advice to others who are visually impaired, she added: "I encourage others to try the sport if they get the chance. My advice is to keep going – do whatever you enjoy, just give it a try and don’t give up.”"Every journey starts with challenges, but it gets easier,” Adam stated.