On May 11, the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) did something that had not been done since World War II.
Cancel a Deaflympics.
Citing several reasons, the ICSD Executive Board made the decision to red-card host nation Slovakia and remove their right to host the Winter Deaflympics that were to take place February 18-26, 2011 in Vysoke Tatry (High Tatras).
In a YouTube video from April 8, ICSD president Craig Crowley explained that serious shortcomings were noted regarding logistics, organizing, and lack of funding and that the ICSD had given Slovakia until April 9 to prove that they had met the stipulations set forth by ICSD. Crowley stated that Slovakia had met two conditions - the hiring of new chief operating officer Peter Chudy and provided detailed plans to ensure the success of the Winter Deaflympics.
However, according to ICSD, Slovakia had failed to secure confirmation of funding and meet the expectations set forth by the ICSD Board. This led to ICSD's decision to remove from consideration the right for Slovakia to host the Winter Deaflympics.
This had set off international furor especially among the European deaf community. Among these countries that have sent letters of support to Slovakia and urging ICSD to reconsider the decision are Russia, Croatia, Ukraine, and Poland.
In a letter posted on the official 2011 Winter Deaflympics website, Ukraine has pleaded for common sense to prevail. "This decision strikes a crushing blow on [the] prestige of [D]eaflympic movement."
Said President Kasits'kii of the Ukrainian Deaf Sport Federation, "...it is necessary to continue negotiations and make all for 17 [W]inter Deaflympic Games [to] have taken place."
This also serves as a negative ripple effect for deaf or hard of hearing United States athletes who exclusively train for winter events. Since the Deaflympics only happen once every four years, this is a setback for the event and the sports in general.
The USA Deaf Sports Federation released a press release today with vice president of international affairs William Bowman stating, "...it is a great disappointment to all of us on the US Team, especially our athletes who have trained hard for this event."
Just how bad is this cancellation?
Think about it this way: we have athletes in their thirties who have tried out and made the U.S. Team, perhaps for the last time and a last chance to earn a medal for the stars and stripes, and now they will probably never have a chance to represent the United States again. What's also disturbing is the expenses that athletes had to pay, mostly out of pocket, for training and for tryouts - especially the snowboarding and curling tryouts.
This also is a lost opportunity for elite athletes who may have set a personal goal of making it to these Winter Deaflympics before settling down in a career or even starting a family. Since Deaflympians struggle to gain the equal recognition of their fellow Olympians and Paralympians, many Deaflympians only experience the Deaflympics once.
I can only hope that a solution can come out of this dilemma - either Slovakia regains their bid or an alternative site is chosen for the Winter Deaflympics. I don't think the international deaf community can afford such a devastating blow, especially when the ICSD is working to gain equal recognition from the International Olympic Committee.
Disclaimer: The author of this column serves as the vice president of member services for the USA Deaf Sports Federation.
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