Light wooden table with wide edge, central Plexiglas panel, goals for protection. At the crossroads of shuffleboard, ping-pong and billiards, the conflict is making its mark in Reims (Marne). The principle of this game that sets two opponents against each other? Serve then continue the rally by returning the ball using a rectangular racket to achieve goals. Complete silence is required in each game to clearly see the movement of a sound ball.
The exhibition club Reims, is affiliated with the French disabled sports federationis supported by the association Regard au bout des fingers, which offers a wide range of modified sports activities. The second showroom was established at the beginning of last week in Reims. “This sport was invented by a blind Canadian table tennis player. It is suitable for all levels of impairment because we play visually. Everyone is equal. Even able-bodied people can play,” affirms Aurore Sohier, president of “Regard au bout des fingers”.
This installation in the Cité des Sacres is a small benefit for the association. Until now, visually impaired people from the Marne had to go to Metz (Moselle), Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin) or Troyes (Aube) to use this control. “We wanted to include it regularly in our activity program but it was not easy because the only approved manufacturer is based in the Czech Republic,” explained Aurore Sohier. It was therefore necessary to find funds and sponsors to complete the project. Almost 8,000 euros were needed to buy and transport two tables and equipment: gloves, headbands and balls.
The tables are also used for the rehabilitation of polyclinic patients.
Two rooms have now been converted and make it possible to open four training slots per week within the Bleuets polyclinic building in Reims. “We created a partnership with the polyclinic thanks to one of our members who is a physiotherapist in this structure. It is an exchange because healthcare professionals use our tables to rehabilitate their patients. It’s a win-win,” he cheers to Aurore Sohier.
Today the club has nearly twenty members and will launch the recruitment of referees among students at the University of Reims. The Reims showdown club is therefore one of the twenty teams in France currently affiliated with the French Showdown Union. For competing franchisees, an appointment will be made for the weekend of October 12 for the Coupe de France, which will be held in Troyes. The Reims association hopes to organize the next club with Strasbourg and Troyes.
2024-10-10 08:06:00
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