President's Message - February 2010

Craig A. Crowley
A very warm welcome and all good wishes to you all for 2010!

I know our holiday season had long passed and the promise of a prosperous New Year already started with loads of 'hard' objectives to focus on for ICSD this year.

I am pleased to report that we had our first ICSD Executive Committee (EC) meeting last month and we discussed various issues which obviously will determine and shape the organisation in more ways than one.

Firstly the EC (name now changed to 'Board') has produced final draft of the ICSD Strategic Plan which will help to steer the ICSD in the right direction by courtesy of agreed strategic objectives for the next three years. We have also set great aspirations and goals for the future so this document will be available to the member nations around March/April this year.

Secondly, the Board has also agreed to search for 5th member-at-large to complete the governance so hopefully these will be accomplished sometime this year.

The ICSD Office have worked so hard to produce an excellent list of new and updated handbooks which helped to consolidate the structure, guidelines, regulations and procedures and to guide the way forward for the revised and new constitution and bylaws of ICSD.

We were fortunate enough to follow a number of IOC requirements and first of which is the implementation of WADA code which includes:

  • ICSD Office has updated Anti-doping rules & regulations to include WADA 2009 model (awaiting WADA approval)
  • ICSD to implement ADAMS and instructions are soon to be available on website
  • Soon to be announced selection of IRTP (International Registered Testing Pool)
  • Revised and updated TUE forms soon to be on website
  • Cooperation with NADO (National Anti-doping Organisation)
  • Sanctions & Control Adminstrator was appointed in December 2009 to focus on WADA

Second of IOC requirements – to set up a new Memorandum of Understanding with IOC – so as to ensure the name of 'Deaflympics' is protected under the rights of the Olympic partners. However this does mean that we will have to consider new entity for the organisation in the very near future. I believe this is going to be extremely crucial if not a positive move for ICSD as this will open more doors of opportunities from marketing, media and sponsorship context.

Third of IOC requirements is to communicate IOC recommendations from 'The Olympic Movement in Society' a document which was approved at the last IOC Congress in Copenhagen in October 2009. 13 aspects of the report's contents written by Dr. Donalda Ammons have been of great significance for ICSD as a whole. This will figure as part of the roll-out work for Deaf Sport Reform.

Yet once again a further meeting with IOC will be imminent in the next coming months as ICSD will need to implement a number of new and exciting proposals as mark of new beginning and changes for our organisation.

Things are now moving ahead with regard to the Deaf Sport Reform as steps are being taken place to set up to follow framework and timeline which will see ICSD becoming structured, lean, effective, focused with vibrant, revised constitution, bylaws and regulations to include all three of DSR's disciples – Deaflympics, World Sport and Youth.

ICSD wants to use long term strategy in establishing a unique partnership between the Deaf Sport Reform and the respective governments of the world. This proposed partnership should serve as a force multiplier, permitting the combination and complementing of deaf sports' and governments' respective resources and assets, and results in a coordinated and cohesive approach to equality and diversity in sport.

We are now in the process of selecting Deaf Sport Reform working committees; a collective workshop meeting will take place sometime this year and once they are being set up a regular bulletin will then be issued in the website so as to keep us abreast of its progressive developments to come.

A few things from the Deaflympics front:

  • Urgent steps have already been taken to embark on stringent actions needed following the site inspection visit last January of 2011 Winter Deaflympics in Vysoké Tatry, Slovakia.
  • I shall be visiting Vancouver in March 2010 to meet 2015 Winter Deaflympics Organising Committee whilst being a VIP guest of Winter Paralympic Games.
  • Following recent visit by Executive Director (now renamed as Chief Executive as part of new strategic direction) in November 2009, a further visit is planned to Athens this year for an update on their progress for 2013 Summer Deaflympics

As I sign off this message we are on an important mission, but we cannot get there without the dedicated support and collaboration of all ICSD members and stakeholders with confidence, enthusiasm, hard work to remain and we must simply start to embrace and inspire the new pathways in Deaf Sport Reform by following the principles and values of Deaflympics, World Sport and Youth.

Craig A Crowley MBE
President