Over recent decades, deaf sports have faced significant challenges globally, particularly in terms of participation and visibility. At the Deaflympics 2021 in Brazil, 2,412 athletes competed, marking a decline in participant numbers for the first time since the Deaflympics 2005 in Melbourne. Was the pandemic to blame? Or is deaf sports itself losing popularity?

In August 2024, the European Deaf Bowling Championship in Brussels, organised by the European Deaf Sport Organization (EDSO) in collaboration with the Belgian national deaf sports federation (BDC), provided an excellent opportunity to examine the current landscape of deaf sports in Europe. Representatives from Belgium, Sweden, Germany, and France shared their insights into the situation and potential solutions.

Ageing in Deaf Sports?

“Although the number of clubs remains relatively stable, membership is declining, mainly due to the ageing membership base and the passing of older athletes,” said Jan Van den Braembussche, Chair of the Belgian Deaf Sport Committee (BDC), voicing concerns about deaf sports in Belgium. “We see a noticeable drop in the influx of young deaf athletes, which used to be better facilitated by deaf schools.”

The integration of deaf children into mainstream schools has made it more difficult to engage them in Deaf sports. Frédéric Delsol, a French athlete in the bowling team, confirmed that changes in the deaf education system have weakened pathways into deaf sports. He noted a decline in France’s participation, particularly in less popular sports such as badminton, bowling, and table tennis. “In the past, deaf schools organised joint sports tournaments, which fostered contact and participation in deaf clubs. As deaf schools have weakened due to integration into hearing schools, so too has the connection to deaf sports,” he observed, expressing a bleak outlook for the future of deaf sports.

Positive developments in European Deaf sports?

While concerns exist in Belgium and France about the future of deaf sports, the recent European Deaf Bowling Championship did not show a significant disparity between older and younger participants. Is this a characteristic of the sport itself, or a broader trend?

In Germany, there appears to be an increase in young people entering deaf sports. The Deutsche Gehörlosen-Sportjugend, Germany’s youth deaf sports federation, receives funding from the mainstream Deutsche Sportjugend to organise youth deaf sports activities. Thomas Ritter, sports director of Germany’s deaf bowling team, highlighted that this is a global rarity. “This support allows us to work more transparently and collaborate with mainstream schools, promoting the participation of young deaf athletes in sports.”

Sweden’s deaf sports federation has adapted to the new reality, where many deaf children attend mainstream schools, often with cochlear implants (CIs). Their national deaf sports federation has prioritised engaging these children and employs an active approach to reach out to the schools they attend. “We hired a staff member dedicated to networking with mainstream sports federations,” explained Anna Polivanchuk of the Swedish deaf sports federation. “This person developed an educational package to raise awareness about deaf sports among coaches and other staff in sports clubs across Sweden.”

This educational package not only increases knowledge about deaf people and deaf sports but also fosters collaboration with the deaf sports federation. Mainstream clubs can refer deaf athletes with CIs to the federation, which then ensures these athletes have access to deaf sports opportunities. “Mainstream clubs may not always understand how to accommodate deaf athletes, leading to a lack of motivation for deaf individuals to participate in sports,” Polivanchuk explained. “It’s crucial to provide proper information.”

Is collaboration with mainstream sport federations the solution?

In Germany and Sweden, collaboration with mainstream sports federations and schools has proven effective. But is this model feasible in other countries like Belgium and France?

According to Jan Van den Braembussche, GDPR regulations in Belgium make such collaboration difficult. “We want to reach out to deaf members of mainstream federations, but they cannot share this information with us,” said the BDC Chair, who hopes to attract new athletes through media outreach. “Last year, two young deaf athletes, a 16-year-old tennis player and a 17-year-old swimmer, joined us after reading a newspaper article about deaf sports and contacting us via social media.”

In France, the deaf sports federation previously received direct government funding, but now all funding is channelled through a single federation for disability sports. “This should attract more deaf athletes, but the opposite has happened,” said Frédéric Delsol, noting a decline in participants in the national bowling team, both male and female. “The eligibility criteria have become stricter, misaligned with the norms of deaf athletes, which is detrimental to the sustainability of deaf sports.”

Delsol also criticised the disability sports federation, which is primarily run by non-signing individuals, for favouring oral deaf people over signing deaf individuals, who then organise their own activities.

Is the term ‘Oralympics’ a fair criticism?

At the recent Deaflympics, there were increasing numbers of athletes without sign language proficiency, prompting criticism and even the nickname “Oralympics.” Thomas Ritter noted that sign language use varies by sport: “In bowling, more sign language is used, while other sports see higher participation by oral athletes.” He employs a communication strategy that involves continuing to use sign language with non-signing athletes to serve as a role model. “We believe they can learn and grow in sign language proficiency.”

While most Swedish athletes use sign language, there are CI users and oral deaf individuals who prefer spoken communication. “They are also part of our target group,” explained Anna Polivanchuk. “We encourage them to learn sign language but also adapt to make them feel welcome. Integration is more important than imposing language requirements.”

She shared a story of a CI user who joined the Swedish futsal team without any prior knowledge of sign language. “The other team members use sign language but also wear CIs. The newcomer connected with them through shared experiences as CI users but realised she lacked sign language skills, which she regretted. She is now motivated to learn, and the team is supporting her in this effort so she feels more integrated.”

The landscape of deaf sports in Europe stands at a crossroads. In countries like Germany and Sweden, the future of deaf sports seems secure thanks to successful collaborations with mainstream sports federations and schools. Yet participation lags behind in countries such as Belgium and France, raising the question: Will the future of deaf sports depend on building stronger bridges between deaf and hearing communities?

 

LEAD REPORTER – SAM VERSTRAETE

CO-REPORTER –  KENNY ÅKESSON

SUPPORTING REPORTER – JORN RIJCKAERT