The IBTA World Blind Tennis Championship concluded at SEB Arena in Vilnius over the weekend, bringing together more than 100 athletes with visual impairments from 19 countries. Over five days of competition, world champions were crowned in singles and doubles across four categories. For the first time in the history of the Championship, prize money was also awarded, while Australia emerged as the dominant nation of the tournament.
Australian players claimed four of the eight singles world titles. Oliver Fanshawe triumphed in the men’s B2 category, Michael Leigh in the men’s B3, Caroline Lane in the women’s B3, and Grace Hobbs in the women’s B4.
Italy’s Rosa Daniela Pierri became the women’s B1 world champion, while Luxembourg’s Liz Conzemius claimed the women’s B2 title. Great Britain’s Ivan Rodríguez Deb won the men’s B4 category, while Finland’s Jani Kallunki triumphed in the men’s B1 competition.
Another world-class triumph almost 30 years later
One of the highlights of the final day was the men’s B1 final. Finland’s Jani Kallunki defeated IBTA world No. 1 Naqi Rizvi of Great Britain 4:1, 5:3 to become world champion. Japan’s Harufumi Shiozawa claimed the bronze medal.
“From the moment I woke up, I felt that today was going to be my day. That feeling stayed with me right up until the start of the final. I knew Naqi was a great player and that I was facing a huge challenge. My serve worked very well, and in the most important moments of the match I was also able to return well,” the Finn said after the final.
Kallunki thanked his coaches and teammates, stressing that he could not have won the title without their hard work and dedication. Asked to describe in one word the emotion he felt after becoming world champion, he did not hesitate: “Crazy.”
The new blind tennis world champion also has an impressive Paralympic background. Kallunki has competed at several Paralympic Games in judo and goalball, and in 1996 he became Paralympic champion with Finland’s goalball team in Atlanta.
“Almost 30 years have passed, and here I am – a blind tennis world champion. Absolutely unbelievable, absolutely,” said Kallunki, who celebrated his victory on SEB Arena’s Centre Court with a memorable champion’s dance.
In the women’s B1 final, Italy’s Rosa Daniela Pierri defeated Argentina’s Rosana Lescano 4:2, 2:4, 10:3 in a hard-fought three-set match. Australia’s Tess Whelan took bronze.
First prize money in Championship history
The World Championship in Vilnius also marked another milestone – for the first time in the history of the event, the top athletes received prize money. The world champion in each category was awarded €1,000, the silver medallist €700 and the bronze medallist €400.
“We want blind tennis players to receive the same recognition for their work and achievements as athletes in other sports. There has never previously been a prize fund at a World Championship. It is very important to us that we have taken this step here in Vilnius. I believe that in the future this will become the norm and a regular part of the biggest blind tennis tournaments,” said Championship Director Aidas Danilovas.
Australia emerges as the Championship’s dominant nation
Australian athletes dominated not only the singles competitions but also the doubles. In the men’s B1 doubles, Great Britain’s Naqi Rizvi and Australia’s Isaiah Muller became world champions. The men’s B2 title was won by Australians Oliver Fanshawe and Ethan Cook, while Australia’s Courtney Webeck and Luxembourg’s Liz Conzemius claimed the women’s B2 title.
In the women’s B1 doubles, Great Britain’s Tracy Compton and Yvette Priestley took the title. In the combined B3–B4 doubles competitions, Australian pairs triumphed in both events: Michael Leigh and Reuben Alexander Fairbank won the men’s title, while Caroline Lane and Grace Hobbs won the women’s.
Australia finished the Championship with an impressive 23 medals – 12 gold, 9 silver and 2 bronze. Great Britain ranked second by total medal count with 8 medals – 4 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze.
Italy, Poland and Germany each won 5 medals. Italy collected 1 gold and 4 silver medals, Poland 2 silver and 3 bronze, while Germany took 5 bronze medals.
Lithuania’s best result – seventh place
The Lithuanian team did not win a medal at its home World Championship. The best singles result came from Vaida Litinskaitė in the women’s B3 category. She reached the main knockout draw and finished seventh overall. Živilė Karoblienė finished eighth in the same category.
Three Lithuanian players – Karolis Verbliugevičius, Justas Pažarauskas and Gražvydas Butrimas – reached the main knockout stage of the men’s B1 competition. However, all three were eliminated in the round of 16, with Butrimas achieving the best final position among them, finishing tenth.
Oksana Dobrovolskaja also finished tenth in the women’s B1 competition. In doubles, she partnered Poland’s Monika Dubiel, reaching the B1 semifinals and finishing fourth overall.
Championship could provide a major boost
Championship Director and Lithuanian team leader Karolis Verbliugevičius’ coach Aidas Danilovas said that more than ten months of preparation had paid off. The first blind tennis event of this scale ever held in Lithuania ran smoothly, while feedback from participants was extremely positive.
“We prepared for this Championship for more than ten months, and it went by in what felt like a single moment. Everything ran very smoothly. I want to thank everyone who contributed to making the Championship happen – the team, volunteers, sponsors, spectators and, of course, the players and their teams. Every single contribution to this event was very important,” said Danilovas.
From a sporting perspective, he admitted that not everything went as the Lithuanian team had hoped. The greatest expectations had been placed on European B1 champion Karolis Verbliugevičius.
“Karolis and I set ourselves the highest possible goal – to win the Championship here in Vilnius. Unfortunately, sport is sport, and our plans did not come true. On the other hand, the road to the biggest victories goes through painful defeats. I know this Championship will give Karolis even more motivation to pursue victories in the future,” Danilovas said.
The Championship Director also assessed the overall performance of the Lithuanian team positively, emphasising that blind tennis is still a relatively new sport for many of its members.
“Our team is still very young. Many of our players only picked up a racket relatively recently. I have no criticism of any of them – I simply want to wish them persistence and determination. The victories will come. I believe this Championship can provide a major boost for blind tennis in Lithuania. Socially responsible businesses have already taken notice of us, so I hope it will become easier to secure funding. Most of all, I hope that after this Championship even more people with visual impairments will find the courage to try blind tennis,” said Danilovas.
