Do you know Parasport Table Tennis? It is one of the 25 sports (in France) whose rules are adapted to allow people with a disability to practice table tennis and compete at all levels.
Reminder on Parasports in figures
Parasports, all disciplines combined, are:
- More than 32,000 licenses in France
- 32% women
- 1,350 clubs, including approximately 806 clubs and 539 associations
Parasport table tennis
Among these disciplines, parasport table tennis has many fans and forges brilliant athletes. The parasport table tenis is also a Paralympic discipline and is one of the first six sports of the first Paralympic Games in history which took place in Rome in 1960.
Possible arrangements at the Table tennis
Disabled Table Tennis follows the basic rules of table tennis :
- the game is played in 3 winning sets
- 11 points earned for a winning set
- You can play singles or doubles.
Nevertheless, in order to facilitate the progress of the game, the basic rules of table tennis are accorded to the situation of the players and the level in which they are. In general, the facilities must not allow the player to have an advantage allowing him to win the point. Thus, wheelchair players can hand over serves coming off the table from the sides. Similarly, by decision of the referee, players having great difficulty serving because of a handicap on one arm, can serve by throwing the ball with the arm of the racket. Finally, if the athlete’s handicap allows it, he can play disabled and able-bodied at the same time. That is why the Polish athlete Natalya Partyka has participated in the Olympic and Paralympic Games several times.
Authorized equipment
- If necessary, the racket adapts to the needs of the athlete insofar as it remains in wood (with an allowance for reinforcing fibers such as flax, carbon, etc.), in one piece, that ‘it is flat and rigid. Thus, according to the needs of the players, the handles can be adaptes for a better grip, and the players can use bandages or other external devices when necessary to help the athlete to have a good grip of the blade.
- Table tennis rubbers must be approved by the Federation.
- Table of table tennis approved by the federation
- Classic ball, that is to say 40mm in diameter, white or matt orange, of cellulose or similar.
- The net must be 15.25 cm high, dark in color with a white band on the top, clearly visible.
Authorized clothes
As for able-bodied players, all parasport players must wear regulation clothing:
- Short sleeve shirt
- Short
- Socks
- Sport shoes.
Note that the top and the shorts must be of a very different color from that of the ball put into play. Thus, except medical opinion or authorization of the referee, the regulation prohibits any other clothing during the match. Finally, players of the same team must wear the same clothes with an exception for sneakers and socks.
Classification of disabled table tennis players
Of course, as the difficulty is very different from one athlete to another, the federation has planned everything and provides a classification in order to balance everyone’s chances!
Athletes with a physical disability can play standing up. They are then in the TT6 to TT10 categories. However, if they are playing in a wheelchair then they are in TT1 to TT5. Players with an intellectual disability play in TT11, as they may have difficulty in strategizing. Finally, in some competitions, several categories may be mixed.
(see table : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_de_table_handisport)
Like us, follow and support the valiant and combative parasport athlete Joao Cardoso.
Featured image, Disabled table tennis player Tomás Piñas during the European Championship, 2005. Author : Pablo Pérez, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
