Asia's first official championship in showdown — a sport for the visually impaired — opened in Seoul on Saturday. The tournament, which carries world ranking points, features athletes from three Asian nations: South Korea, China and Kazakhstan.
Kim Ki-deok, a lawmaker on the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee representing the Democratic Party of Korea, attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 IBSA Showdown Asia Championship at Seoul Olympic Parktel on Friday to encourage the competing delegations and wish the event a successful run.
The championship is hosted by the Korea Blind Sports Federation and the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) and organized by the Korea Showdown Association for the Disabled. It runs from Wednesday through Monday — six days in total.
The event is the first IBSA-sanctioned official showdown championship in Asia. As an international competition awarding world ranking points, it has drawn about 60 athletes and officials from South Korea, China and Kazakhstan.
Showdown is a para-sport often described as "table tennis for the visually impaired." Players wear opaque eyeshades and use a bat to strike a sound-emitting ball into the opponent's goal.
In his opening remarks, Kim welcomed delegations from across Asia and expressed hope that the event would serve as a stage for unity where athletes share friendship and passion through sport. "As this is a historic occasion — the first of its kind in Asia, held right here in Seoul — I hope it becomes a place of harmony where athletes exchange friendship and share each other's passion," he said.
Kim said he had contributed to improving the sports environment for people with disabilities and to supporting the staging of the championship. He said he has worked consistently to ensure Seoul city agencies comply with mandatory employment quotas for people with disabilities, and has backed policies to let people with and without disabilities enjoy sports and welfare benefits on equal terms.
He added that the Seoul Metropolitan Council had worked to secure the necessary budget and lay the institutional groundwork for the smooth running of the tournament.
"The sweat and determination athletes have quietly poured out on the court is the greatest meaning of this championship," Kim said. "The Seoul Metropolitan Council will be a firm pillar of support so that athletes with disabilities can train freely and nurture their dreams in a better environment."
7toy7@heraldcorp.com
