HomeArticlesDeaf Sports Convention In Wellington Attracts Many Entries
Deaf Sports Convention In Wellington Attracts Many Entries
The New Zealand Deaf Amateur Sports Association’s annual convention in Wellington at the weekend has attracted 250 entries from New Zealand and Australia to what is fast becoming a major New Zealand sporting event.
The entrants include a top Sydney deaf basketball club side, Bankstown, which will play an invitation Wellington team at the Newtown Stadium on Sunday at 8.30pm.
“Entries are increasing every year as is the amount of time the organising committee is spending organising the convention,” said a member of the committee, Mrs O Hoare.
“We have been working on the convention for six months, and for the last two we have been having meetings every night,” she said.
“Not only is the convention an opportunity for deaf people to compete against each other, it is also a gathering of schools friends from three schools in New Zealand, Kelston (Auckland), Sumner (Christchurch) and St Dominic (Feilding).”
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Comradeship
“Deaf people throughout New Zealand look forward to this convention as one of their highlights of the year because it is the one chance they get to see all their friends.
“Although the ages vary from 18 to 80, there is great comradeship and spirit in the three days of sport,” said Mrs Hoare.
“Actually the spirit is so strong that my son is coming all the way from Australia to compete in the golf tournament,” she added.
Mrs Hoare cannot foresee any great problems with the organising of the convention but she is going to notify the police and the taxi services to avoid any trouble.
“If anybody does get lost or in trouble we want the police to know where we are, and if the taxis receive calls they cannot understand they will know about the convention. These are the only real problems we envisage,” said Mrs Hoare.
“Communication is not too difficult because most of the competitors and spectators can lip read.”
The convention will begin tomorrow — with badminton at the Naenae Badminton Hall at 9am; at midday the field will tee off at the Hutt Golf Club for the open tournament; table tennis at the Empire club’s hall will begin at 2pm.
On Saturday, the convention athletic meeting at the Hutt Recreation Ground will start at 9am; the interclub basketball tournament at the Newtown Stadium will begin at 1pm.
On Sunday, the table tennis and basketball will conclude.
Dressed to Represent at the NZ Deaf Sports Convention
John recalls how athletes travelling to Deaf Sports Conventions, such as the one in Christchurch in 1968, were required to dress formally, including wearing ties. Both athletes and supporters wore rosettes to show their club. These were removed during games but worn again afterward. On the final evening, swapping rosettes was a tradition. John still has a few at home.
NZSL story – Taonga source: Kevin Pivac
A Sleepless Train Ride to and from Wellington for the Sports Convention
In 1972, Kevin played basketball for the Auckland Deaf Society at the Deaf Sports Convention in Wellington, where the team took home the Cunniffe Cup. The Auckland group travelled by overnight train, with one carriage packed full of Deaf people. Sleep was scarce with constant chatting and playing with the lights. Alcohol was banned on trains at the time, but on the return trip on Monday night, a friend met them at Paekākāriki and dropped off a crate, which they secretly brought into the carriage!
