SWISH tables arrive in Townsville, making table tennis accessible for all
Vision-impaired Rylee playing the SWISH table
When you live with a vision impairment, playing sport can be incredibly challenging.
And for serious lovers of sport, the opportunity to be active while spending time with family and friends – regardless of visual abilities – is invaluable.
Feros Care has partnered with the local community and Life Skills Australia to bring a SWISH table to Townsville, making sport more accessible for those with vision impairment.
The Townsville Table Tennis Association is now home to the coastal city’s first SWISH table, allowing locals to enjoy a sport that is rapidly growing in popularity – so much so that it’s set to stand alone as an event for the first
time at the North Queensland Games next month.
The Games, to be held in Townsville from April 29-May 2, will host more events than the Commonwealth Games – attracting around 4000 competitors across 30 sports. They will be the ideal platform to showcase Swish Table Tennis and further
boost interest in the sport.
The SWISH tables
25-year-old Rylee Perfect is a Townsville local who has a vision impairment.
Rylee recently played on a handmade SWISH table for the first time at a Feros Care ‘come and try’ day at Townsville’s Table Tennis Hall; he says he not only enjoyed playing the sport, but also the time he spent with his mother and other members of the community.
Rylee hopes the popularity of Swish table tennis will “take off” and generate enough interest for a regular social
event to be organised.
SWISH is an ideal way for people to come together, as people without a vision impairment play the game blindfolded alongside those with vision impairment: “At the social day, mum came too and she had a laugh.”
The SWISH tables are built with barriers on the sides so the ball can’t roll off, and a board in the middle which the ball rolls under and to the other person. The balls have a bell inside which makes a sound when hit with the rectangular Swish
bat.
