Last Day of the CISS Congress

On March 9, the CISS Congress convened for the third and final day.  The morning was occupied with reports from various event organizing committees.  The location of Sundsvall, Sweden was approved for the 2003 Winter Deaf World Games.  The location of the Cycling World Championships in 2000 was moved to 2003 in Spain.

Naturally, the most exciting part of the day was the announcement of the 2005 bid.  Melbourne, Australia won the bid amid heated competition from Kosice, Slovakia.  Read more about this.
  
A brief controversy arose as some countries, notably Ukraine and Germany, opposed the $50-per-athlete-fee that the CISS members had ratified in Copenhagen,Denmark in July 1997. In past years, the fee was $15, and due to rising costs, including the cost of technical delegates, it went up to $50.  However, Walter Zaugg, president of the Swiss Sports Association, announced that his organization would waive the  $15 for all athletes that it expected.  President Lovett applauded this motion and announced that, in fact, CISS would only ask for $15 from thereon.  Sam Sonnenstrahl of the US announced that the US would pay the full $50 for all of its athletes as a goodwill gesture.

After that, Knud Søndergaard of Denmark was awarded Honorary CISS Life Member status for more than 24 years of dedicated service as Secretary General (from 1973 to 1997).  He tearfully accepted the motion which was approved overwhelmingly by the delegates and gave a short thank-you speech.