Report from Sports Director
Dear friends…
I regret to inform you that the 2007 World Deaf Bowling Championships in Singapore is CANCELLED due to not enough planning time and little information from the host.
The ICSD office has received all 2009 Summer Deaflympics Team Preliminary Forms. We have already announced that WOMEN Handball and WOMEN Waterpolo have been CANCELLED due to insufficient entries. There are some sports that are considered "at risk" and I would like to encourage your team to participate to make sure that this sport does not get cancelled. They are: MEN HANDBALL (7), MEN WATERPOLO (7), and WOMEN FOOTBALL (8).
Now, I would like to provide a report about the 16th Winter Deaflympics that have taken place from 1st to 10th of February 2007 in Salt Lake City USA.
From my opinion, the sport competitions have been successful. All competitions have proceeded in a peacefully and fair way, as there was hardly any trouble. I’m also very pleased to say that all of our participants who were tested had passed the doping tests. I would like to say a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart to all sportsmen, trainers, managers and officials. In all perspective, it has been a fair game!
Of course I want to show my respect to all of our fabulous Technical Directors and consultant Michael Schmauser (TD Alpine Skiing), Marco Galmarini (TD Snowboard), Knut Kjode (TD Cross Country Skiing), Chris Bradley (TD Ice Hockey) and Dean Sutton (Consultant Curling – Demo). There are all newcomers, except Knut Kjode. Our teamwork is terrific and I’d like to say we all are made out of the same chemistry!
The most important link for good teamwork between us and the Technical Directors were the group of Tiffany Granfors (Executive Director) Wayne Langbein (Technical Operations Manager) and Sue Burnes (Office Assistant). We all felt like a great team! This is why all our never ending working spirit made the competitions take place without any interruptions at all.
I must not forget to send my regards and thanks to the Organizing Committee (OC) for the 16th Winter Deaflympics in Salt Lake City USA. For this matter I would like to point out that Jeff Lewis, responsible for the Sports & Venues, always stood besides our Technical Directors.
Most importantly, I would like to send my personal respect to President Dr. Donalda Ammons for her tolerance, authority, charisma, sensibility and enormous competence. She is by far a very outstanding person and has a very high understanding of how to have these games performed at the highest level.
And now I will promise you all to do my very best as Sports Director for ICSD and wish all of you a good teamwork for the 2009 Summer Deaflympics in Taipei/Taiwan.
Josef Willmerdinger
ICSD Sports Director