Crowley (pictured above) says the deaf sport movement was hugely optimistic of a boost when London won the bid to stage the Games in 2005 but he reveals it has actually struggled ever since.

"The countdown to the Olympics and Paralympics this summer feels like a bittersweet moment for me," he said.

"Time has passed quickly since I heard the news in 2005 that the Olympics and Paralympics had been awarded to London in 2012.

"I recall seeing Dame Kelly Holmes (pictured below, second left) on television, cheering punching the air on top of the stage in Trafalgar Square seven years ago in London and I suddenly dreamed that Deaflympics would at last get some recognition too now that London would host the next Olympics and Paralympics after Beijing 2008.


"This was an exciting time for UK Deaf Sport, especially when it was some six months after we won 10 medals at the Melbourne Deaflympics and the GB Deaf Team returned triumphant with world and Deaflympics champions in men's and women's football, women's hammer throw, women's swimming and women's 800 metres.

"How wrong I was.

"In 2008, UK Sport declared that only the Olympics and Paralympics would figure in its next seven year funded strategy steered by Baroness Sue Campbell (pictured below).

"She and the UK Sport Board decided the Deaflympics would not feature in its plans and suddenly stopped funding UK Deaf Sport.

"Regrettably we had to take UK Sport to UK Sport Resolution.


"Unfortunately we lost and due to financial capacity, we could not afford to appeal."

It was shortly after this that Crowley was elected ICSD President in 2009 but he admitted that further troubles were ahead.

"I informed the British Olympic Association (BOA) and UK Sport's International Development Department of my position and the importance for me as a United Kingdom citizen to be given some guidance and support.

"UK Sport provides a full programme of support to British sports leaders who work internationally through training, seminars and so forth.

"Yet, as the British representative of the sporting aspirations of 70 million deaf people around the world, meeting regularly with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, IOC members and International Federation Presidents, I have yet to receive even so much as a warm word.

"The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), meanwhile, was not even aware of my existence as the elected President of an International Sport Federation, the oldest disability sports federation which has been in existence since 1924 – prior to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) whose roots go back as far as 1948.

"Despite all this I still applaud the success of the UK for organising the London Games with this resting upon the shoulders of Seb Coe, Paul Deighton and Chris Holmes, the leaders of the London 2012 Organising Committee who have quite simply done a great job in bringing these Games together under difficult circumstances.


"I did ask London 2012 to see what might be done to showcase Deaf Sport, but was not met with any response.

"I also used my position to build a positive relationship with IPC President (Sir Philip Craven, pictured above) and at his insistence I helped to resolve a sovereignty issue involving France and the relationship between Disability Sport and Deaf Sport."

Crowley adds that deaf sport was further hit after troubles staging the Deaflympics which are currently the most high profile event for deaf athletes.

"Unfortunately, we were rocked with the cancellation of the Winter Deaflympics 2011 in Slovakia, 2015 in Vancouver, Canada and the Summer Deaflympics in 2013 in Athens, Greece – all accepted as hosts without proper Government support or contracts.

"Toiling in obscurity, under the shadow of the Paralympics, has been hard going in recent years.

"It is worth noting that the IPC has the means to bring in new sports and new countries, but no mechanism to bring in a new disability.


"Bulgaria has come to the rescue and pledged its intention to hold the Summer Deaflympics (Taipei 2009 Games Opening Ceremony pictured above) for July – August 2013.

"Turkey will host our Summer Deaflympics in 2017 and some 700 athletes from nearly 40 countries are preparing to take part in two World Deaf Championships in football and athletics.

"However, as stated previously the fact that the UK is hosting the Olympics and Paralympics gives me mixed feelings of excitement, sadness, concern and frustration to say the least.

"Most of the Deaflympic Games I have been involved in, witnessed and participated in as an athlete going back to my first in 1985, have always been special.

"However, what would be even more special is if we could have seen Deaf athletes featuring in the Olympics and Paralympics here in London.

"With the chief executive of ICSD, Mark Cooper (formerly Dolley) – an ex-Head of Communications for the Olympic Games at the IOC – we have spent our time picking up the pieces and starting to re-build a relationship and confidence with the likes of IOC members, International Sport Federations, as well as building closer relations and increasing better awareness with National Deaf Sport Federations and members.

"We acknowledged and now embrace the importance of partners, friends, spectators, athletes and supporters in the world of media, television and sponsorship."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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