The International Blind Tennis Association (IBTA) announced today that Samir Mahir has been elected President at the annual general meeting held on the 27th November 2022.
“Sport brings people together through active and healthy lifestyles worldwide. For people who are blind or have low vision, tennis is about their abilities instead of their disabilities. Blind tennis not only enhances physical and mental health, but it’s critical for social connection and independence.” said Mahir.
Mahir, a former executive with Tennis Australia and Vision Australia, advises sports organisations on the development of adaptive programs and digital inclusion. He was the first National Coach for the Australian Blind Tennis Team, serving in that role for 5 years. Mahir, who is originally from Morocco, currently lives in the USA.
According to Mahir, “IBTA greatly benefited from the contributions of our immediate past president Maurice Gleeson, who steered us through the challenging COVID-19 pandemic. On behalf of IBTA, I would also like to recognise our past president the late Gaetan Li, who rallied support for blind tennis during an early period of growth. I’m proud to pick up the baton from them and look forward to working closely with our outstanding executive committee to deliver on the IBTA’s strategic goals.”
Moving forward, IBTA will focus on building key partnerships, supporting players and volunteers, and promoting greater diversity and inclusion.
The following members were elected to serve on the Executive Committee.
President: Samir Mahir (USA)
Secretary: Anita Deb (UK)
Head of Technical / Treasurer: Martin Etheridge (UK)
Head of Medical and Research: Satoshi Yokota (Japan)
Head of PR and Marketing: Dana Costa (USA)
Click here to learn more about the IBTA Executive Committee