Introduction to Blind Baseball course held in Wuxi, China
A special introduction to Blind Baseball course for 90 visually impaired people, volunteers and media members was successfully held in Wuxi, a Chinese city in the southern Jiangsu province, 140 kilometres from Shanghai,
The local Baseball Softball Association organised the initiative with the support of the WBSC and the China Baseball Association who donated equipment and provided technical support.
During the event, under the guidance of professional baseball coaches, the participants learned basic skills like pitching, catching and base running. They also gained a preliminary understanding of the international rules of Blind Baseball competitions. Volunteers were present at every session to ensure the smooth running of the activities.
Wuxi has a long history of engaging people with disabilities in baseball. As early as 2015, the Wuxi Special Education School established the nation's first softball team for students with a hearing impairment.
Starting in 2017, Wuxi launched softball programmes for intellectually disabled children across multiple special education schools and rehabilitation centres. All these efforts have received strong support from the Jiangsu Baseball Team and the Wuxi Softball Association.
"The event not only allowed the blind to experience the charm of baseball in person," stated a press release. "It also increased public attention and understanding of the blind community, conveying the values of inclusion and equality. The event received extensive positive coverage from Wuxi's mainstream media."
In the future, the Wuxi Softball Association plans to continue promoting blind baseball in urban Wuxi and Jiangyin and Yixing, establishing blind baseball teams to participate in international exchange activities.
The WBSC held the inaugural Blind Baseball International Cup in the Netherlands in 2022, which featured teams from (in finishing order):
- Italy
- Great Britain
- USA
- Germany
- Netherlands
- France
