To further celebrate our Community Champions, Tennis Victoria is pleased to launch our Community Champion of the Month awards. The Community Champion is someone who has made a positive impact in their tennis community while living the tennis values – Collaboration, Humility, Innovation or Excellence.
To celebrate National Volunteer Week, we are pleased to announce the inaugural Community Champion of the Month for May 2022 is Samir Mahir.
Samir Mahir is our Community Champion of the Month for May. Samir has been pivotal in the success of the Blind and Low Vision tennis program, volunteering his time as a coach to assist the players and help them to develop their skills.
Samir was the National Coach for the Australian Blind Tennis Team during International Blind Tennis
Tournaments (IBTA) and has been involved in:
- attending the Coaches’ international meetings and workshops
- liaising with members of the IBTA and other competing country representatives
- coaching players and reinforcing international competition rules
- providing support to the Australian Team Manager as a sighted guide for athletes with vision loss.
This role – as well as Samir’s constant coaching – has resulted in Victoria now having two players listed in the IBTA Top 10 World Ranking within their classifications, and another 2 players in the Top 20 World Ranking respectively.
Samir has helped to raise awareness of blind tennis and promoted adaptive tennis within the community. He has participated in a range of media interviews and filming opportunities; including with ABC Radio and Radio National to promote Blind and low vision tennis.
Samir has contributed to the creation of pathways within blind tennis so participants have the opportunity to progress from informal, social training, through to state, national and international events. He has also organised exchange training and coaching programs with other countries in Asia Pacific such as Singapore.
Samir was also named Volunteer of the Year at the 2021 Disability Sport and Recreation awards.
Congratulations Samir – you’re our Community Champion this month.
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