Athletics & Swimming
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Introduction
Due to the fact that there is no category for the Deaf in the Paralympics, some deaf athletes have been known to compete in the Olympic Games in both Athletics & Swimming. Terrance Parkin who exhaled in both swimming & cycling, & won a silver in swimming in the Olympic Games for South Africa.
Athletics
Athletics is available for people with Hearing Impairments and is participated in at social, club & Provincial level, as well as at International level. Athletics consists of both Track and field. This includes the sports of running, jumping, and throwing. The events that are available are the same as those available at the Olympic Games, with the same rules applying.
There are a few minor difference between Athletics at the Olympics, etc and the tournaments that is participated in by the Deaf, the first being, that participants involved should be able to encode up to 55 decibels of sound to be allowed to participate. Other differences include:
- The level of noise during the deaf sports and the main-stream match is huge. It is also customary for spectators not to cheer or clap, but rather to wave – usually with both hands.
- The race is started by the wave of a flag, instead of a shot of a gun.
Organizations
There are a number of organizations that oversee soccer for the Deaf in South Africa, they include:
South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC)
SASCOC is South Africa’s national multi-coded sporting body responsible for the preparation, presentation and performance of teams to all multi-coded events, namely the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Games, All Africa Games, Olympic Youth Games, Commonwealth Youth Games and Zone VI Games.
At SASCOC they look after all our various National Federations who are affiliated to them, together with the various provincial sports councils.
They are responsible for the awarding for National Protea Colours to athletes/officials who have met the criteria to represent South Africa in different sporting codes and arenas and we also endorse the applications for Bidding and Hosting of international events, providing these criteria are all met.
South African Deaf Sport Federation (SADSF)
South African Deaf Sport Federation currently promotes 10 sport codes, including Athletics.
Most of these codes have their own structures and constitutions and are, as provided for in the SADSF Constitution, affiliated to the SADSF which is a National controlling body that facilitates the administration and coordination of each of these 10 Sport Codes to the highest level of excellence.
SADSF further has 9 constituted Provincial structures that are responsible for the identification and development of sporting talent for Deaf at grassroots level and also for the administering and coordination of sport for the Deaf at a Provincial level.
Vision & Mission
To continually strive for the development of world-class standards of Deaf sport in South Africa.
An effective and efficient democratic national organization which strives to promote the development of sports for the Deaf in South Africa to the highest level of excellence while fostering unity and discouraging discrimination based on race, gender or religion.
Swimming
Swimming is available for people with Hearing Impairments and is participated in at social, club & Provincial level, as well as at International level. Swimming consists of a variety of events that are available are the same as those available at the Olympic Games, with the same rules applying.
A number of Deaf athletes are known to have competed in the Olympics. Terrance Parkin who exhaled in both swimming & cycling, & won a silver in swimming in the Olympic Games for South Africa, but most compete at the Deaflympics, or would have qualified to do so.
To qualify for the Deaflympics, "athletes must have a hearing loss of at least 55db in their 'better ear'. Hearing aids, cochlear implants and the like are not allowed to be used in competition, to place all athletes on the same level" In the Olympics, there is no restriction on hearing loss or use of hearing aids.
Other differences between Athletics at the Olympics, etc and the tournaments that is participated in by the Deaf, include:
- The level of noise during the deaf sports and the main-stream match is huge. It is also customary for spectators not to cheer or clap, but rather to wave – usually with both hands.
- The race is started by the wave of a flag, instead of a shot of a gun.
Organizations
There are a number of organizations that oversee soccer for the Deaf in South Africa, they include:
South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC)
SASCOC is South Africa’s national multi-coded sporting body responsible for the preparation, presentation and performance of teams to all multi-coded events, namely the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Games, All Africa Games, Olympic Youth Games, Commonwealth Youth Games and Zone VI Games.
At SASCOC they look after all our various National Federations who are affiliated to them, together with the various provincial sports councils.
They are responsible for the awarding for National Protea Colours to athletes/officials who have met the criteria to represent South Africa in different sporting codes and arenas and we also endorse the applications for Bidding and Hosting of international events, providing these criteria are all met.
South African Deaf Sport Federation (SADSF)
South African Deaf Sport Federation currently promotes 10 sport codes, including Swimming.
Most of these codes have their own structures and constitutions and are, as provided for in the SADSF Constitution, affiliated to the SADSF which is a National controlling body that facilitates the administration and coordination of each of these 10 Sport Codes to the highest level of excellence.
SADSF further has 9 constituted Provincial structures that are responsible for the identification and development of sporting talent for Deaf at grassroots level and also for the administering and coordination of sport for the Deaf at a Provincial level.
Vision & Mission
To continually strive for the development of world-class standards of Deaf sport in South Africa.
An effective and efficient democratic national organization which strives to promote the development of sports for the Deaf in South Africa to the highest level of excellence while fostering unity and discouraging discrimination based on race, gender or religion.
References
