International Blind Tennis Association

What International Blind Tennis Association does

The International Blind Tennis Association (IBTA) is the international governing body for blind tennis, organized as a UK Community Interest Company (CIC No. 13046443). It serves as the central authority for a sport invented in Japan in 1984 and now played in 30+ countries, standardizing rules, equipment specifications, athlete classification, and tournament sanctioning for visually impaired athletes globally. Its core product is the institutional framework that enables national federations, players, coaches, and tournament organizers to participate in an internationally recognized competitive structure, anchored by the biennial World Championships and supplemented by regional and exhibition events.

IBTA's operational scope covers federation onboarding, referee and coach certification, technical standards development, and event hosting support. Its business model is nonprofit and diversified across five revenue streams: annual national federation membership dues, per-player capitation fees (EUR 25 per registered player), tiered tournament registration packages (EUR 10 to EUR 450), branded merchandise, and donations. Strategic partnerships signed in 2024–2025, including with the International Tennis Federation (ITF), International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA), Tennis Australia, Sport Group Holland, and AI partner Flexday, extend IBTA's institutional reach and underpin upcoming milestones such as the inaugural blind tennis exhibition at the Australian Open in 2026, the Women's Tournament in Spain in 2026, and the World Championships in Lithuania in 2026. The organization is led by President Samir Mahir (in role since 2022) supported by a volunteer executive committee covering secretarial, technical, medical/research, and PR/marketing functions.

Name

International Blind Tennis Association

Legal name

International Blind Tennis Association Cic No. 13046443

Website

https://internationalblindtennis.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Blind Tennis Association (IBTA) is the UK-registered international governing body for blind tennis, standardizing rules, classification, and tournaments across 30+ countries and serving visually impaired athletes, national federations, coaches, and event organizers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adaptive Sports Governance

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (7112)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability & Adaptive Sport Governing Bodies (Paralympic & Sport-Specific) (MPAKAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional) (MPAKACAD)

Keywords

• Adaptive sports governance
• Blind tennis association
• Para-tennis regulation
• Visual impairment athletics
• International sports federation

Headquarters

HQ city

Gravesend

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: IBTA offers membership programs for individuals and organizations including national tennis federations, national blind sporting associations, and national paralympic councils. Members receive access to resources, events, and official IBTA activities.
2. Tournament and Event Registration Fees: Players and participants pay registration fees for IBTA-sanctioned events including World Championships and European Championships. Fees vary by event and include various package options.
3. Capitation Fees: A separate IBTA capitation fee of EUR 25 per player is collected by event organizers and transferred to IBTA. This is mandatory for all players participating in IBTA-sanctioned events.
4. IBTA Shop: Merchandise and equipment sales through Sport Group Holland partnership, offering blind tennis equipment and official IBTA merchandise.
5. Donations: IBTA accepts donations through PayPal payment gateway on their website. Donations support the organization's mission to develop blind tennis globally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IBTA is the international governing body for blind tennis, regulating the sport through official rules of play, a four-tier visual classification system (B1-B4), world rankings, and sanctioned international championships. The association delivers membership programs, organizes World Championships, European Championships and regional tournaments, provides coaching resources and a Technical Manual, sets adaptive equipment standards (sound balls, eyeshades), and sells official equipment and merchandise through the IBTA Shop.

Product overview

International Blind Tennis Association (IBTA) is the governing body for blind tennis internationally, offering a unified sport system comprising: governance and rules of play, a visual classification system (B1-B4 categories), world rankings, coaching resources, technical manual, event registration, program registration, membership, and equipment standards. IBTA organizes world championships, European championships, and sanctions international tournaments. The association provides online tools for event registration, player classification tracking via Medical Diagnostics Forms, and maintains an events calendar with star-rated tournaments. Equipment standards cover sound balls (Shoei, Handi Life Sport brands), eyeshades, and court requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IBTA Membership Program Membership offering for individuals and organizations supporting blind tennis development, providing access to IBTA resources, events, and official activities.
• IBTA World Blind Tennis Championships 2026 International blind tennis world championship bringing together elite players from around the world to compete across all visual categories (B1-B4).
• IBTA European Championships European-level blind tennis championships organized by IBTA featuring competition across all visual categories (B1-B4).
• First Women's Blind Tennis Tournament - Spain 2026 The inaugural women's blind tennis tournament held September 3-5, 2026 in Benidorm, Spain, welcoming women players from across the world to compete and celebrate, with a parallel men's friendly tournament in all categories.
• IBTA Tennis Camp and 2025 Burgundy IBTA Grand Prix - France 2025 Coaching camp and Grand Prix tournament held at Chevigny Tennis Club in Dijon, France, including discovery and initiation modules, high-level player modules, and coaching workshops.
• Virtus Centenary Tournament - Italy 2025 Centenary celebration tournament held in Bologna, Italy in partnership with FISPIC for categories B1-B4 with a low participation fee of EUR 10 per athlete.
• IBTA Shop (Blind Tennis Equipment and Merchandise) E-commerce shop operated through Sport Group Holland selling official blind tennis equipment (sound balls, eyeshades, accessories) and official IBTA merchandise to players, coaches, and supporters.
• Event Registration Service Online event registration service for IBTA-sanctioned tournaments, enabling players to register, complete waivers, and access classification tracking.
• Program Registration Service Free online registration service that connects blind tennis programs with potential participants, helping people find blind tennis programs in their community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sport played in over 30 countries across all continents
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• International Tennis Federation (ITF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2025Official partnership announced October 13, 2025 through Memorandum of Understanding. ITF and IBTA collaborate on global development of blind tennis, with ITF providing governance support and international sports network access.
• International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 September 2025Memorandum of Understanding signed September 7, 2025 between IBTA President Samir Mahir and IBSA President Ilgar Rahimov. Partnership aims to drive global growth and development of blind tennis, leveraging IBSA's 45-year history of empowering blind athletes.
• FlexdaycoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial AI Partner providing technology solutions. Flexday's logo appears on the IBTA website as an official partner, supporting the association's digital operations.
• Sport Group HollandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial partner providing the IBTA Shop, offering blind tennis equipment and official merchandise. Players can purchase equipment through their storefront.
• FISPIC (Italy)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian federation for sports for the visually impaired, partnered with IBTA to host events including the Virtus Centenary Tournament 2025.
• Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria (BSRV)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian organization recognized for innovation, winning Tech for Good award at 2022 TechDiversity Awards. Collaborates with IBTA on Australian blind tennis programs.
• Tennis AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting the inaugural Blind and Low Vision Tennis Showdown at Australian Open 2026, the first blind tennis competition at a Grand Slam event. Tennis Australia has been a leader in adaptive tennis inclusion since 2002.
• LTA (Lawn Tennis Association, UK)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for IBTA Tennis Camp and 2025 Burgundy IBTA Grand Prix in France. LTA supports blind tennis development in the UK and Europe.
• US Blind Tennis Association (USBTA)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS national organization developing blind tennis programs. Collaborated with USTA on first US blind tennis conference and tournament in Orlando, Florida.
• Fundacja Widzimy Inaczej (Seeing Differently Foundation, Poland)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPolish foundation supporting visually impaired people through sports. Hosted 2025 IBTA European Championships.
• Blind Tennis ArgentinaregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational blind tennis organization in Argentina, developing the sport in South America.
• Blind Tennis Lithuania (Blind Sport LT)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSelected to organize the 2026 IBTA World Blind Tennis Championships in Vilnius, Lithuania. Hosted first international blind tennis tournament in Lithuania (Lithuanian Open 2025).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA): IBSA is the international federation governing blind sports and is IPC-aligned, covering multiple sports for the visually impaired. It is IBTA's direct strategic partner under a 2025 MoU and the closest institutional peer in disability sport governance.
• US Blind Tennis Association (USBTA): USBTA is the US national organization developing blind tennis programs. It operates at the same sport-specific level as IBTA but within a single country, having collaborated with USTA on the first US blind tennis conference and tournament.
• Virtus (formerly INAS-FID): Virtus is the international sports federation for athletes with intellectual impairment. Like IBTA, it is a disability-sport governing body that runs international competitions (e.g., Virtus Centenary Tournament hosted in Bologna in 2025 in partnership with IBTA) and pursues multi-sport Games inclusion.

Regional players

• FISPIC (Federazione Italiana Sport Paralimpici Ipovedenti Ciechi): FISPIC is the Italian federation for visually impaired athletes and is IBTA's regional partner for hosting events including the Virtus Centenary Tournament 2025 in Bologna. Comparable as a national disability-sport governing body serving the blind tennis ecosystem.
• Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria (BSRV): BSRV is an Australian state-level organization supporting visually impaired athletes, including blind tennis. Won the 2022 TechDiversity Awards Tech for Good award. Operates as a regional affiliate within IBTA's global network.

Broad incumbents

• International Paralympic Committee (IPC): IPC is the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. IBTA's classification system is aligned to IPC standards and IBTA is actively campaigning for Paralympic inclusion, making IPC both a standards authority and aspirational institutional peer.
• LTA (Lawn Tennis Association): LTA is the UK national tennis federation and an IBTA regional partner supporting blind tennis camps and tournaments. Comparable as a national tennis governing body that collaborates with IBTA on grassroots adaptive tennis programs.
• International Tennis Federation (ITF): ITF is the global governing body for tennis. It is IBTA's strategic partner via a 2025 MoU and provides the broader tennis ecosystem context (rules, equipment standards, Grand Slam connections) within which IBTA operates.
• Special Olympics International: Special Olympics is a large established global organization providing adaptive sports for people with intellectual disabilities. While serving a different impairment category, it is comparable to IBTA in operating adaptive sport programs across many countries with classification systems and international competitions.
• Tennis Australia: Tennis Australia is the national federation governing tennis in Australia and the host of the Australian Open. Its leadership in adaptive tennis inclusion since 2002 and 2026 Blind Tennis Showdown hosting makes it both a partner and a comparable sport-governance entity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ibtatennis
• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=blind+and+visually+impaired+tennis&sp=CAISAhAB
• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/ibtatennis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ibtatennis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Blind Tennis Association