We have received complaints that information concerning activities of SADSF is not properly communicated to our affiliates, athletes and interested people. Inside SADSF page, therefore has been started in an attempt to try and keep information flowing smoothly.
1 August 2008
Winter ends and Spring replaces it, new leaves, new flowers….. AND our sports calendar goes full stream with international event after the other. The 1st World Deaf Football Championships has just recently ended and for the first time we were able to send our young vibrant soccer team. Though the experience they gained from the even is awesome and now more international event are still coming. Our hands are extremely full…. We must hasten to add that doomsayers who publicly said that Deaf Sport is dying must be eating humble pie. In fact, Deaf Sport is growing day by day…. Why not pop in the Gallery page, soccer section to view those awesome pictures of the team?
The 1st Southern African Football qualifiers for 2009 Summer Deaflympic Games will be held from 14 to 16 August 2008 at Boksburg Stadium and the final Team South Africa is herein below announced:
Goalkeepers
Amos Zwane – Gauteng
Mlwande Matsha – Eastern Cape
Aubrey Ngele – Gauteng
Defenders
Mthetho Kweba – Eastern Cape
Alex Rakosa – Gauteng
Joseph Radebe – Free State
Vincent Marajane – Free State
Yolisile Nyokana – Eastern Cape
Midfielders
Andrew du Plooy – Western Cape
Sibongiseni Gqwetha – Estern Cape
Lebo Mogobo – Kwazulu/Natal
Nkosinathi Mdingane – Free State
Bheki Ngwenya – Free State
Forwards
Andile Mthimde – Eastern Cape
Luvo Makosa – Eastern Cape
Johannes Motloutsi – Gauteng
Shamiel Howley – Western Cape
Marcus Moloto – Gauteng
Tsholedi Moloi – Free State
Management
Leonard Miya – Team Manager (Kwazulu/Natal)
Thami Shabangu – Head Coach (Gauteng)
Tsietsi Letaoana – Assistant Coach (Gauteng)
Furthermore, the 1st World Deaf Athletics Championships will be held in Izmir, Turkey from 22 to 28 September 2008. Of course, we will be sending a team to the event and herein below we announce Team SA:
Men
T. Jama – 100m, 200m sprint (Eastern Cape)
M. Mashaba – 100m, 200m sprint (Gauteng)
N. Mbuli – 800m, 1500m (Gauteng)
L. Ludidi – 400m, Long Jump (Eastern Cape)
Women
S. Kopolo – 100m, 200m sprint (Eastern Cape)
T. Motsoko – 100m, 200m sprint (Gauteng)
M. Molai – 200m, 400m (Free State)
L. Vilakazi – 400m, Long Jump (Gauteng)
Management
Derrick Peete – Team Manager (Gauteng)
Charity Shikwambana – Assistant Team Manager (Limpopo)
Jackson Malindi – Coach (Free State)
AND last but not least, the World Deaf Golf Championships will be held in Perth Australia from 29 September to 3 October 2008. Again we will be sending a team. Herein below we announce Team SA:
Ryan Lotz – Western Cape
Danie Marais – Northern Cape
Albie Louw – Western Cape
Jacques Van Zyl – Gauteng
Cedric Touzard – Western Cape
Bryon Vincent – Kwazulu/Natal
Seniors: Ray Graaff – Gauteng
Management
Nico Beaurain – Team Manager
Jerry Herman – Coach
Apart from these international events, our hands are fully tired with development projects that are currently taking place.
The School Sport Commission held its first meeting on the 26th of July in Germiston and a lot of pressing issues related to schools sport were discussed. Pictures of the meeting proceedings can be viewed in the Gallery section. One of the main issues that were discussed is the forthcoming National School Summer Games to be held in Buffalo City, East London in the Eastern Cape Province.
We will keep you posted on all the activities taking place within SADSF….. till then, stay real!
WORLD DEAF FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS - GREECE
The Hellenic Athletics Federation for the Deaf successfully hosted the 1st World Deaf Football Championships in Patra, Greece from 2 to 12 July 2008. We were able to send Women’s Soccer Team for the first time. See Gallery page.
International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) President, Dr. Donalda Ammons, in her announcement on the even of the championships said: I specially want to emphasize the importance of SA women’s team’s presence as it is their first time taking part in a world football event”. We are indeed indebted to ICSD Football Technical Director, Christof Nicholas and the Organizing Committee for their support before and during the event.
It should be noted that we started with Women’s football development only in 2005 and our intention was to send the team to the 2009 Deaflympic Games in Taipei. The invitation from ICSD to send the team to Greece came as a surprise to us as the team was not yet ready for competition at this level. However, we looked at the brighter side and thought it was best to accept the invitation and send the team for them to gain experience in preparation for the 2009 Deaflympic Games. According to the report we received from the coach, the team played against tougher and bigger opponents (Germany, Russia and England) all of whom have experience in competitions of this magnitude. Though they failed to beat these opponents, they gave their all and the experience gained thereat will definitely come handy at the 2009 Deaflympic Games. We, in SADSF, are proud of our girls!
SOUTHERN AFRICAN FOTTBALL QUALIFIERS – SOUTH AFRICA
As is the requirement, men’s football has to first qualify for the Deaflympic Games before taking part thereat. Previously, there was only one team from Africa eligible for participation at the Deaflympic Games. This time, however, there will be two teams, one from North West Africa and another from Southern Africa. Teams from these two regions have been grouped and will play against one another to determine one team in each region that will be going to the Deaflympic Games. For Southern Africa, SA will play the qualifying games against Swaziland and Zimbabwe from 13 to 16 August 2008 at Boksburg Stadium, in Ekurhuleni (South Africa). ICSD requested SADSF to host the qualifiers and we gladly accepted the request. Look for the fixture in the website.
Preparations for the tournament are going well so far and Team South is in place.
Our best wishes to Team SA in their quest to qualify for the Deaflympic Games for the first time after failing to qualify to the last Deaflympic Games edition!
WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS – TURKEY
The 1st World Deaf Athletics Championships will be held in Izmir, Turkey from 22 to 28 September 2008. We will be sending a team, men and women, in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and Long Jump events to the Championships. Preparations are at an advanced stage and a provisional team has been selected. Final assessment of the team will be done on the 26th of July 2008 in Germiston. The team is made up of mainly school going athletes and to this end the Team Manager will be an educator from a school for the Deaf with an assistant Team Manager’s role being given to a Deaf woman. The final team will be announced after the assessment on the 26th of July. We wish the team all of the very best!
WORLD DEAF GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
The World Deaf Golf Championships will be held from 29 September to 3 October 2008 in Perth, Australia. We will be sending a team to the Championships and such a team has already been selected at the recently held Disability Golf Championships and it will be announced shortly on the website. All preparations are at an advanced stage. We wish the team all of the very best!
INTERNATIONAL DEAF CYCLING TOUNAMENT
Taipei Deaf Sports Federation has organized an international Deaf cycling tournament as a dress rehearsal for the 2009 Deaflympic Games to be held in Taipei. Two Deaf cyclists from SA have been invited by the organizers with all expenses paid for by Taipei. We wish our cyclists all the best!
SA SCHOOL GAMES FOR THE DEAF
School Games for the Deaf will be held from 27 September 20 3 October in Buffalo City, East London (Eastern Cape Province). Preparations are at an advance stage, programme, accommodation information and all other required information have been sent out. The Local Organizing Committee is doing their utmost best to make the event a success. We commend them for a job well done thus far and wish them well for the event. It should be noted that the event will also be used to select some athletes for the 2009 Deaflympic Games.
NATIONAL LOTTERY DISTRIBUTION TRUST FUND
Applications for funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Funds (NLDTF), Distribution Agency for Sport and Recreation, are now open. We encourage our affiliates to apply for funds. The closing date is 19 September 2008. For our affiliates to apply, SADSF needs to provide an endorsement letter in support of the said application, failing which the application will be turned down. We, therefore, urge our affiliates who wish to apply for funds to approach us with a request for such an endorsement letter. You can contact SADSF Administrative Office at fax: 013 656 4038 or alternatively email Julius Maxajwe at: maxajwe@vodamail.co.za or juliusmaxajwe@hotmail.com. To provide such an endorsement letter, we will however first require a copy of the business plan and budget you wish to submit to the NLDTF. Only SADSF affiliates in good standing will be assisted.
DEAF SPORTS REFORM – ICSD EXTRAODINARY CONGRESS
International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) will hold an Extraodinary Congress on Deaf Sports Reform. The Congress will be held on 12-14 September 2008 in Slovakia. A lot of proposed changes on Deaf sport around the world will be discussed and adopted. Both President and Senior Vice President will attend the Congress on behalf of SADSF.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
In line with SADSF Constitution, an Annual General Meeting will be held either at the end of October or early in November 2008. Information will be sent out soon. With a lot of changes taking place within sport, it is necessary that amendments to SADSF Constitution be made. Proposed amendments have recently been emailed to those who have emails and we will post to those who do not have email.
PROVINCIAL STRATEGIC AND GENERAL MEETINGS
Strategic Planning and General meetings have been held in both Limpopo and Free State.
New Chairpersons are: Limpopo Deaf Sports Federation – Miss Charity Shikwambana and Free State Deaf Sports Federation – Mr. Jackson Malindi. Contact details of these 2 persons are in SADSF website www.sadsf.org.za Provincial Structures page. We wish you all the best in your new roles and rest assured of our support at all times.
DISPUTES
SA Constitution gives everyone the right to form an association and this too applies to sport for the Deaf. Unfortunately, this within Deaf sport seems to cause a lot of confusion. Of note, is the current unnecessary conflict in Free State. Free State Deaf Sports Federation (FSDSF) is affiliated to SADSF. However, there is another organization in Free State that is also conducting sport activities. Though this is commendable, it causes confusion amongst Deaf athletes as both FSDSF and this other organization are using the same athletes for their activities. It is our belief that both these organizations need to come together and clarify roles between themselves. Personal differences aside, these organizations need to realize that it is only fair that Deaf athletes be properly informed as to who does what.
There are other similar incidences in other provinces, but the situation in Free State is worse. We are not sure yet whether this is caused by a desire to seek attention and frustrate the other party or a mere need to promote the development of sport for the Deaf. The situation has become too personal and out of hand.
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