Visually impaired athletes secure bronze in Italy

Two baseball players have hit home-runs for Team GB's blind team and brought a bronze medal back to Teesside.

Gareth Mallabar, 29, and Grant Hammond, 47, from Hartlepool are part of the Team GB Blind baseball squad and competed in the Blind Baseball International Cup in Italy.

The side played alongside countries including Italy, Cuba, the USA, Czechia and Chinese Taipei before reaching the semi-finals and securing a medal.

They both said they felt "very proud and ecstatic" to be able to get a medal in a very intense competition.

The pair both represent the Hartlepool Monkeys Blind baseball team, which was originally set up by Hammond.

He has the condition, retinitis pigmentosa, and got involved with the sport whilst he was living in Manchester and wanted to create a team when he returned to Teesside after discovering there was not one in the area.

He said: "A blind sport club is hard to come by, it's kind of niche.

"It needed somebody to start it and get involved and the team has been doing incredible ever since.

"The team has gone on to become national champions, twice in a row and continues to grow."

Mallabar is the team's sighted catcher. Initially he joined the team as a volunteer and said it had "flourished" by going on to play in big competitions.

He said: "It was an incredible experience. It was a very full on four days, playing some of the best teams in the world, such as Italy and Cuba.

"We did really well in them two games, and came back with a bronze medal after losing in the semi against Chinese Taipei.

"We are all really proud of ourselves to be coming home with a medal."

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