Football & Futsal

2011 World Deaf Futsal Championships
The regional qualifications for the men teams to qualify for the 2011 World Deaf Futsal Championships are coming up in the next few months as all teams final registration are due by 30 November 2010. Venezuela as the lone men entrant from PANAMDES automatically qualifies for the 2011 World Deaf Futsal Championships.

APSDC has hosted the Deaf Futsal Qualifying Round for World Deaf Futsal Championship in Singapore from 21-25 September 2010 to determine five qualifying APSDC men places for the 2011 World Deaf Futsal Championships.

The European Deaf Futsal Championships will be held in Winterthur, Switzerland from 6-14 November 2010 and this will determine the eight remaining EDSO men places to qualify for the 2011 World Deaf Futsal Championships after Sweden automatically qualify as hosts.

For the women championships, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey and Venezuela are all automatically entered after submitting their Preliminary Entries before the scheduled deadline.

In the next two months, I expect both regional men qualifications will have been completed and the final 16 countries for the men championships will be announced. I am scheduled to go to Örebro, Sweden for a site inspection visit during 15-17 October 2010 and will provide a brief update on the next Enews and also on www.facebook.com/World.Deaf.Futsal

2012 World Deaf Football Championships
A decision was made to extend the Preliminary Entry deadline to 24 September 2010 due to logistic problems with the original mail out from Turkey. This paid off with the number of Preliminary Entries being increased by 50%.

2012 World Deaf Football Championships Men Preliminary Entries: Algeria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hong Kong, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan. Kenya, Korea, Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Russia Federation, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe. A maximum of 16 men teams will qualify for 2012.

2012 World Deaf Football Championships Women Preliminary Entries: Australia, China, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Korea, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Russia Federation, Turkey and United States. A maximum of 10 8 women teams will qualify for 2012.

The Final Registration deadline for the final 16 men and 10 8 women places are due on 29 July 2011. Regional qualifiers will be organised by each regional confederations to determine places for the men and women championships before this deadline.

Just to remind you that the 2012 World Deaf Football Championships will be held in Ankara, Turkey (10-21 July 2012). More information can be found on www.facebook.com/World.Deaf.Football

What next?
I also would like to take this opportunity to encourage countries to consider bidding for the 2014 U19 World Deaf Football Championships, 2015 World Deaf Futsal Championships and the 2016 World Deaf Football Championships as early as possible because it would help me to work with FIFA to raise the standard of each World Championships.

If you are interested in hosting the 2014 U19 World Deaf Football Championships, please go to www.deaflympics.com/games/calendar.asp?EventID=166

If you are interested in hosting the 2015 World Deaf Futsal Championships, please go to www.deaflympics.com/games/calendar.asp?EventID=140

If you are interested in hosting the 2016 World Deaf Football Championships, please go to www.deaflympics.com/games/calendar.asp?EventID=146

As always, yours in football

Christof NIKLAUS
ICSD Technical Director - Football/Futsal

By Christof Niklaus