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Deaflympics, the Attention Less But Much Privileged Being a Deaf Person


The 24th Summer Deaflympics is just starting tonight on May 1 until the closing ceremony takes on May 15. Caxias do Sul, Brazil is hosting the 24th Summer Deaflympics and competing in 17 discipline sports, 78 countries, and over 2.000 athletes, according to the official website Deaflympics. Deaflympics actually takes place in 2021 but pushed back to 2022 due to pandemics and safety reasons.  

Unlikely the 2016 Olympics which took place in Rio de Janeiro, the Deaflympics takes place in Caxias do Sul, a suburb of downtown Porto Alegre and apart 3 hours away. Porto Alegre is well-ever hosted the 2014 World Cup. As usual, men's soccer becomes the first sport to start playing before the Opening Ceremony, in which Brazil opened with a loss to Cameroon 3-2, by following the United States Deaf Men's National Team (USDMNT) promising win 4-1 over Iraq.  All sports are played after the Opening Ceremony on May 2.

What do the summary that just you are reading about the Deaflympics?

Deaflympics, which likely to Olympics but only Deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes with fulfilled the hearing requirements participating.  Anyone who has max. above 70-80 dB (decibel), according to the Deaflympics rules, will be participating but don't be allowed to use hearing aids or cochlear implants in the locker room. So, someone who brings them will be disqualified. The athletes don't require to be fluent in speaking sign language, despite the majority using sign language.

I am sure no one knows about the Deaflympics and might assume that the Deaflympics is where just likely Paralympics but we are different and even we aren't permitted to compete at the Paralympics. Do you just know? Here's I would like to share the special sports event!

The Deaflympics is an international multi-sport event, organized by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD). The first edition, held in Paris, France in 1924, was also the first sporting event for people with special needs and it was called World Games for the Deaf or International Games for the Deaf. The first edition was competing in 6 discipline sports, 9 countries, and 148 athletes. The Summer Deaflympics takes place every 4 years and is the oldest multi-sport event after the Olympics. Deaflympics also has the winter games, the first edition held in Seefeld, Austria in 1949 with 2 discipline sports, 5 countries, and 33 athletes and the current event will be held in Quebec City, Canada in 2023. The next Summer Deaflympics will take place in Tokyo, Japan in 2025, which previously hosted the 2020 Olympics also pushed back to 2021 due to pandemics. 

The United States is dominant in Summer Deaflympics history. Team USA has won more than 1.000 medals, between 355 gold medals, 310 silver medals, and 338 bronze medals, a total of 1.003 medals. Team USA also won the Deaflympics eight-time in a row from 1973 until 2001. Basketball is one of the most reliable sports, USA men's basketball has won 14 gold medals with a boost of 85-1 record and the women's basketball team has captured 8 gold medals, where they earned the gold medal in seven consecutive with a 53-2 record.

Then, how about Indonesia? 

Indonesia participated three-time from 2009 until 2017 and earned one silver medal and three bronze medals. Indonesia never won the gold medal. Indonesia probably will not send the athlete to Brazil (I don't know but I'm sure because no news reports that Indonesian athletes competing in the Deaflympics in Brazil. That's sad but I can understand because I think it's about the budget constraint or might pandemics. I hope Indonesia will send the athlete to the next Deaflympics will be held in Tokyo, Japan. 

How privileged being a Deaf person?

Deaflympics is a huge event for the Deaf sports and as well as equal to the Olympics. And, even Deaf athletes can compete in the Olympics, like Carlo Orlandi was an Italian Deaf boxer who won the first gold medal in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics and Oskar Wetzell was a Finnish Deaf diver who became the first Deaf athlete to compete in the Olympics in London, 1908. Diska Dagar is an Indian Deaf golfer who became the latest Deaf athlete to compete in the 2020 Olympics, she also competed in the 2017 Deaflympics in Samsun, Turkey to win the silver medal. So, Deaf athletes can compete in both the Games, which are the Olympics and Deaflympics. 

I feel very special watching the Deaflympics and I love the Deaf Games. As a Deaf person, I would proud of how the ICSD organizes the Deaf Games and has a long greatest Deaf sports history. Besides the Deaflympics, we have many Deaf sports competitions based on the region, like World Cup/ Championship, Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe, and Pan America, between junior and senior. Not easy that can hold a big sports event due to sponsorship less and as well media attention. Fortunate, they have a longest-term sponsorship with IOC (International Olympics Committee), international sports body organizations, companies, and of course the government. 

As a sports lover and fanatic fan, I would like to play basketball to represent Indonesia or coach a basketball team in the Deaflympics.  But, unfortunately, Deaf basketball Indonesia is just growing up and has no still professional league. No one Deaf professional hooper. That's a big difference with the foreign country has Deaf basketball competitions, likely Europe, the States including Canada, and Australia if I'm not mistaken. We have an individual Deaf sports national actually and it is called Porturin (Persatuan Olahraga Tunarungu Indonesia) but never competed in the Deaf sports national events and mostly independent Deaf sports communities hold their own competition, such as FTI (Futsal Tuli Indonesia/ Indonesian Futsal for the Deaf) and Basket Tuli Indonesia (Tuli means Deaf). This is really sad because no one cares about the Deaf sports in Indonesia. I just hope basketball will more growing up so we can make a new national team to compete in the international basketball competitions such as World Cup, Asia-Pacific Cup, Asia-Pacific Basketball Championship, and ASEAN Deaf Games, under organized by the DIBF (Deaf International Basketball Federation). And even, we would hold the first Deaf basketball professional league consisting of 8-10 teams across Indonesia and expected to play 30-36 regular games and best of five playoffs format. That's a future wish for the Deaf sports in Indonesia. I would hope so. Our dream is to win the first gold medal in the Deaflympics, that's important, at any sport.

Playing Deaflympics means so a lot as being a Deaf person and meeting international Deaf athletes that have different sign languages, would be wonderful and full of tears. That's feeling the honor to be able to represent the country in the Deaf Games. I would hope that I would be there. Becoming a Deaflympian is one of my dreams as a Deaf person.

Deaflympics means a wonderful gift for the international Deaf sports. That is really it is. I love the Deaflympics and Deaf sports.

I hope my sharing would be beneficial to hearing readers. Thanks for your willingness and humility in reading the special Deaf sports event, the Deaflympics!

Thanks, everyone!

For Your Information:

Deaflympics live games and result in scheduling will be broadcasted on Youtube and Facebook named X Play TV and installed on Playstore "Deaflympics Caxias 2021" only Android.

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaf_people_in_the_Olympics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesia_at_the_Deaflympics

https://usadb.us/pressbox/international-2/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaflympics

https://www.deaflympics2021.com/history/

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