More athletes than attended the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch will be in the city next week to try their best to win medals.
The Commonwealth Games were attended by 1276 athletes.
About 1400 athletes from throughout the world will take part in the sixteenth World Games for the Deaf from January 7 to 17.
The biggest teams are from the United States (225 athletes), West Germany (130), New Zealand (112), Australia (110), and the Soviet Union (71).
Twelve sports will be contested, including athletics, cycling, swimming, tennis, wrestling, basketball and handball.
The Games will be opened at Queen Elizabeth II Park stadium on Saturday by the Minister of Health, Mr Caygill.
To participate in the Games, athletes must be deaf with a 55-decibel hearing loss. Games officials are also deaf and about 100 interpreters have been trained to help with communication.
The vice-chairman of the organising committee, Mrs Margaret Coutts, said yesterday that including athletes, officials and supporters, about 2000 deaf people would be in Christchurch for the Games.
“For two weeks there will be more deaf people on the street than hearing people.”
Mrs Coutts, who was instrumental in getting the Games for Christchurch, said she was pleased with the number of athletes entered.
“My heart is filled with gold because of the very big turn out in Christchurch for the World Deaf Games — there are more athletes here than at the previous World Games in America (in 1985),” she said.
“I am very grateful that they have come to Christchurch to make sure it is more peaceful in the world and that people are friends.”
The World Deaf Games, organised by the Committee of the International Silent Sports (C.I.S.S.), were founded by a deaf Frenchman in 1924. The first Games were in Paris.
The Games are held every four years, the year after the Olympic Games.
