Playing tennis with closed eyes may seem impossible. Yet this is exactly how people who are blind or visually impaired play showdown – a table tennis style sport specially designed for them. In this game hearing becomes the primary means of orientation, while quick reactions to the sound of the ball and intense concentration guide the players throughout the match.
The second episode of the “Unseen” podcast features successful showdown athletes Ruzan Chatoyan and Andranik Qocharyan, who discuss their achievements in the sport and the opportunities it creates for the blind and visually impaired community. According to them, showdown and other sports offer much more than competition: they help build self-confidence, encourage self-expression and empower people to overcome personal and social barriers.
“Showdown was introduced to Armenia around 13 years ago by Armen Nazaryan,” says Andranik Qocharyan. “Together with his friends he secured the necessary equipment for the sport. Today, around 30 people in Armenia – both women and men – actively play showdown. Sometimes sighted people join the game as well. They try it, enjoy it, but often end up losing to blind players.”
Ruzan Chatoyan recalls that the first people to try showdown in Armenia were Sipan Asatryan, Hakob Karapetyan and Andranik Qocharyan. “Among the women, I was the first to try it, following the suggestion of the late Yura Avetisyan, former director of the Blind Culture House,” she says.
The “Unseen” podcast series dedicated to social inclusion, active lifestyles and opportunities for self-expression is an initiative of the “Internet Society” NGO. The project is implemented in cooperation with the Socrat Shahnazaryan Culture House of the Armenian Union of the Blind and coordinated by Qristian Ginosyan. Its goal is to develop media skills among people with visual impairments and ensure their voices are heard.
“Unseen” is part of a broader ongoing initiative carried out in partnership with the Internet Society Armenia Chapter PO. In 2024 with the support of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the organization upgraded the recording studio of the “Menq” Internet Radio, previously established at the Culture House of the Armenian Union of the Blind. The studio is now equipped with modern tools for producing media content and plans to relaunch the platform are already underway.
The creators of the “Unseen” podcast promise to continue the series with new episodes exploring topics that may remain “unseen” to many, yet are equally important and deserving of public attention.
