UK Deaf Sport CEO Highlights Self-Funding Challenge for Deaflympics Athletes

According to the CEO of UK Deaf Sport, the Deaflympics represents a “culturally important event” on the sporting calendar, yet its athletes are required to secure their own funding. Chris Ratcliffe, aged 57, who was born profoundly deaf, has competed for Great Britain in swimming at the Deaflympics and also secured victory in the Deaf Rugby World Cup in 2002 playing for Wales. Mr. Ratcliffe stated that the Deaflympics, which draws inspiration from the Olympic Games, was established with the dual purpose of celebrating deaf culture and enabling participants “to be able to compete with one another on a level playing field.” As the Deaflympics approaches its 100th anniversary, he aims to increase public awareness of the event. The inaugural Deaflympics took place in Paris in 1924, involving nine nations, among them Great Britain. The event occurs quadrennially, with the 51st games scheduled for Tokyo next year. UK Deaf Sport intends to dispatch a contingent of 115 individuals to compete in disciplines like athletics, swimming, and football. Deaf competitors lack dedicated categories within the Paralympics, an event first organized in 1960. Mr. Ratcliffe further noted that elite deaf athletes in the UK confront a £4,000 self-funding requirement to participate next year. He mentioned their dependence on sponsorship and emphasized that the Deaflympics constitutes an “elite-level competition.” He remarked, “That’s a big challenge,” explaining, “Because not only are they in full-time education or holding down full-time jobs, they will be training significantly.” The Department for Culture, Media and Sport confirmed that Sport England is presently allocating £1.27 million in funding to UK Deaf Sport, extending until 2027. Nevertheless, the government does not provide direct funding to athletes participating in the Deaflympics through UK Sport, as UK Sport’s mandate is exclusively for Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Mr. Ratcliffe, a resident of Bottesford, Leicestershire, observed that “a lot of deaf people” can experience isolation from mainstream society due to difficulties in communication. He stated, “That’s a real challenge, particularly when sport revolves around communication and engagement with people.” He added, “I think the biggest fear a lot of the children have about playing sports or physical activity is going into an environment where they don’t feel comfortable and they don’t understand what’s going on.” He concluded, “There’s lots of barriers in the way in terms of communication.” Mr. Ratcliffe outlined his objectives as CEO, which include increasing awareness of deaf sport within the UK and expanding participation opportunities for deaf individuals. He noted: “Deaf children are twice as likely to be inactive in comparison to hearing children of their own age, so there’s a huge amount of work to be done.” UK Deaf Sport recently initiated “Destination Deaflympics,” a campaign designed to promote and enhance recognition of the event, given that many children are unfamiliar with it. Mr. Ratcliffe indicated that the event has not received “a huge amount of coverage” in prior years. Nevertheless, Mr. Ratcliffe stated that next year they plan to engage younger demographics via social media, utilizing short clips and highlights from the games, and discussions are underway regarding a possible studio for the entire duration of the event. Additionally, Mr. Ratcliffe expressed a desire for more Deaflympic athletes to interact with deaf children in educational settings, thereby inspiring future generations. Readers can connect with BBC Leicester on Facebook, X, or Instagram, and submit story suggestions to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or by WhatsApp at 0808 100 2210. This content is Copyright 2024 BBC, with all rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the material on external websites, and information on its external linking policy is available.