Watch: Three documentaries about Deaf sport on the BSL Zone

The British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust (BSLBT), which commissions TV programmes made in BSL by Deaf people, has just launched three new documentaries that emphasise the great importance of sport within the Deaf community, despite a dire lack of funding.

In Found in Sport, a Deaf badminton player, footballer and golfer tell us about how joining Deaf sports teams changed their lives completely.

“I knew something was missing inside, but I didn’t know what,” confessed Deaf golfer, Martin Anderson, who found himself through Deaf golf teams and even went on to become captain of England Deaf Golf.

The Black Cats’ Tale is football themed, following Sunderland Deaf Association Football Club throughout the 2017/2018 season, showing the highs and lows behind the team, which previously won the English Deaf League for three seasons in a row.

Finally, in The Beautiful Game, footballer Marios Costi talks to people who are involved in English Deaf Football to find out more about how the league is affected by issues by players transferring to other teams mid season, and a dire need for more money.

Youth Coach Jonny Nelson and England Deaf Football’s Oliver Eadsforth note the importance of football for Deaf youths, but also the limitations they face because teams cannot pay for coaching, or indeed often basic essentials like pitch rental.

“It’s been difficult,” says Jonny; “We’ve applied for funding, only to be told, in a lot of instances, that Deaf football is no longer a priority. It’s the turn of other sports.”

BSLBT’s Head of Content, Kerena Marchant, concluded: “Deaf football is one of the ways that so many of us have found our Deaf identity. It used to be at the heart of the grassroots Deaf community, as were other sports like darts and badminton. We have the closure of Deaf schools, Deaf clubs and now Deaf sport is also threatened. These are three important programmes.”

All three programmes are available to watch now on the BSL Zone website and app, along with footage from a special Facebook Live stream which was held on 12th September.

That featured more football related discussion between Marios, Jonny and Oliver, who were asked questions by audience members. It’s clearly a hot topic amongst the Deaf community; one which deserves more coverage.