Dismay as Team GB withdraws from 2022 Deaflympics in Brazil

In a shock move, the board of UK Deaf Sport have announced that the GB Team will not compete at the 2022 Deaflympics in Brazil.

The news means that many deaf athletes will miss their opportunity to compete in the games. UK Deaf Sport cited the safety of the Deaflympics GB Team.

The BSL video with the statement can be seen below:

The statement on the UK Deaf Sport website says:

The Board of UK Deaf Sport, after thorough consultation with sports, athletes and advisors, has agreed unanimously that it would be irresponsible to send a DeaflympicsGB Team to the 2022 Deaflympics in Brazil.

A number of critical issues were raised during consultation and it was agreed that with only a few months to prepare for the Deaflympics, with a global pandemic still prevalent, and with important information on the event yet to be agreed by the organisers, the safety of the DeaflympicsGB Team could not be managed effectively. 

A decision of this nature is not taken lightly and this is why a detailed and comprehensive consultation has taken place. Whilst hugely disappointing for DeaflympicsGB athletes and team staff,  the safety of the DeaflympicsGB Team remains our priority as the National Federation. 

We are working with our Deaf Sports leadership to provide support where it is required and we continue to call on the Government to ensure that our DeaflympicsGB Team is given support, in line with Paralympic and Olympic colleagues. 

If you have any questions about this media release, please contact: Info@ukds.org.uk