South Yorkshire Crowned Champions as Record-Breaking 2026 NIC Yorkshire Visually Impaired Tennis League Comes to a Thrilling Close

The curtain came down on another outstanding season of the 2026 NIC Yorkshire Visually Impaired Tennis League, with South Yorkshire crowned league champions following a superb finale at Hallamshire Tennis & Squash Club in Sheffield.

Played in front of an enthusiastic crowd of players, volunteers, officials and supporters, the final matchday perfectly captured everything the league has come to represent, high-quality competition, inclusion, friendship and the power of sport to change lives.

After four rounds of fixtures held across Hull, York, Leeds and Sheffield, South Yorkshire secured the league title with an impressive 56 points, finishing 26 points clear of West Yorkshire. North Yorkshire claimed third place on 22 points, while East Yorkshire completed the standings with 18 points.

While the overall league title was decided convincingly, the individual competitions produced some exceptional tennis.

In the B1 category, East Yorkshire’s Emily Cooney and Klaudia Orzel completed an unbeaten season to lift the title, finishing with an excellent victory over South Yorkshire’s Gavin Griffiths and Sandra Brasher.

The B2+ final delivered one of the closest matches of the day, with North Yorkshire’s Rachel Abel and Ann Jenner edging South Yorkshire’s Nicky Gardner and Janiece Wallace 7-5 in a fiercely contested all-female encounter.

South Yorkshire rounded off their championship-winning campaign by claiming the Open Doubles title, where Ameen Memon and Santosh Ghosh produced an outstanding display to defeat defending champions North Yorkshire’s Jayanti Mistry and Graham Robson.

The success of the 2026 season extends far beyond the final league table.

Since launching in April at the Nuffield Tennis Academy in Hull, the NIC Yorkshire Visually Impaired League has continued to grow in both participation and profile. Across four tournaments, more than 100 player appearances were recorded as visually impaired athletes from across Yorkshire competed in an environment that champions opportunity, development and competitive sport.

Supported by NIC FM Services Group in partnership with Yorkshire Tennis & Padel, the league has become an important platform for increasing participation in visually impaired tennis while inspiring the next generation of players. The competition also welcomed several current Great Britain internationals, highlighting the exceptional standard of tennis on display throughout the season and reinforcing Yorkshire’s growing reputation as a centre of excellence for visually impaired tennis.

League organiser David Wallace said:

“It has been a fantastic season for the NIC Yorkshire VI Doubles League, with players, volunteers, officials, sponsors and regional teams all helping to make the competition such a success. The standard of tennis has continued to improve, but what stands out most is the incredible support the players show one another. The league is creating opportunities for more visually impaired people to enjoy tennis, compete for their region and be part of something truly special.”

Representing league sponsor NIC FM Services Group, Paul Faulkner, Group Marketing Director, attended the Sheffield finale and praised everyone involved in making the competition such a success.

Paul said:

“What we’ve witnessed throughout the season has been nothing short of inspirational. This league is about far more than winning matches, it’s about creating opportunities, challenging perceptions and proving that sport should be accessible to everyone. At NIC, we’re incredibly proud to support a competition that is changing lives, growing participation and helping showcase some of the very best visually impaired tennis players in the country. Congratulations to every player, volunteer, official and organiser who has made the 2026 season such an outstanding success.”

The success of the league would not be possible without the dedication of its volunteers, officials and the continued support of Yorkshire Tennis & Padel. Their commitment has helped create an inclusive competition that continues to flourish and attract new players every season.

As celebrations concluded in Sheffield, attention has already turned towards 2027, with ambitions to expand participation even further and continue supporting the long-term vision of visually impaired tennis on its journey towards future Paralympic recognition.

For everyone involved, however, 2026 will be remembered as another remarkable chapter in a league that continues to demonstrate that determination, teamwork and opportunity can break down barriers, one match at a time.

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