Future of Deaf Sports - Message from UK Deaf Sport (IS).mpg

UK Deaf Sport has received a number of e-mails from fellow members expressing their concerns and anger toward ICSD as an organisation and the Executive Board.

UK Deaf Sport wishes to send this message to all members of ICSD prior to the Congress at Rome.

UK Deaf Sport was formed in 2003 and become member of ICSD in 2006. That was when we started to be concerned about the long term plans for ICSD and Deaf Sports. The Executive Board of UK Deaf Sport had decided to nominate Craig Crowley as a candidate for the ICSD's Presidency at Congress 2009 in Chinese Taipei.

1. There were problems with several Summer & Winter Deaflympics being cancelled. The problems were already there for a long time which grew into bigger problems.

2. After the cancellation of Winter Deaflympics in High Tatras, UK Deaf Sport was saddened to hear of the news. ICSD had announced that an independent review is in place to investigate the failure of the 2011 Winter Deaflympics. UK Deaf Sport have not received the report from the independent review, all members also have not. We need to wait for the report to become available before making comments.

3. To succeed as a sports organisation, ICSD must put sports first. This is a change we must make from the past.

4. We expect ICSD are working to ensure there are strong Summer & Winter Deaflympics for the future with financial guarantees, to ensure the Summer & Winter Deaflympics are certain to continue.

5. We expect ICSD to work on ensuring additional opportunities for deaf athletes to compete at the highest level (Mediterranean, PanAms & Commonwealth Games, etc).

6. Many of the problems in deaf sport come from our isolated and invisible position. Having our athletes also compete in high profile events will help end our isolation.

7. ICSD must also make some changes to become a better member of the Olympic movement. These include changes to the constitution.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Deaf Sports
• ICSD
• Deaflmypics
• UK Deaf Sport