Christchurch 1989: World Deaf Games

After an unsuccessful bid to host the 1985 World Deaf Games, the New Zealanders weren’t deterred! In 1983, Christchurch won by a landslide in their second bid. With 30 nations attending, 955 athletes and a 112-member New Zealand team with 61 athletes, it was not only New Zealand’s biggest team but also, this was the first time the World Deaf Games was held in the Southern Hemisphere. The 16th World Games for the Deaf was hosted 7-17 January 1989.

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article – Taonga source: Christchurch Star

Bid took 12 years

Although many people will not have heard of the World Games for the Deaf, New Zealand's involvement with them spans 40 years. The first information about the games reached New Zealand in 1949 and the New Zealand Amateur Sports Association was formed.

article – Taonga source: Christchurch Star

Deaf athletes see red

A Christchurch man has designed an international first for the World Games for the Deaf, designing a visual starter for athletic and swimming events.

video – Taonga source: Rodney Roberts

News Review: Ready, Set, Go!

Susan Thomas takes the reins at the studio this week on ‘News Review’. The team recaps footage from the World Games of the Deaf which wrapped up on the Tuesday before. Watch records being broken, and some footage of our Kiwi athletes in action!

Rodney Roberts

video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

‘Spot On’ visits a Deaf basketball training session

The educational TV series ‘Spot On’, visits a Deaf basketball training session to catch up with Royce Flynn and Megan Mansfield, and understand how the sport is played by Deaf athletes, and controlled by a Deaf referee.

Television New Zealand Archive

<img width="128" height="128" src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-TVNZ.jpg" alt="Television New Zealand Archive" />

video – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society

History through Young Eyes: Interview with Jeff Went

Jeff Went talks about his involvement with Deaf sports and the 1989 World Deaf Games in Christchurch where he volunteered as an ‘international interpreter’ doing 12 hour days over 12 days!

Auckland Deaf Society

<img width="128" height="128" src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-ADS.jpg" alt="Auckland Deaf Society" />

article – Taonga source: Christchurch Star

Games’ wave of friendship

The 1989 "friendly games" are underway. That is the unoffical title given to the Games for the Deaf which the Minister of Health, Mr Caygill, officially opened on Saturday.

video – Taonga source: Manawatu Deaf Society

16th World Games for the Deaf, Christchurch

Opening ceremony and events at the 16th World Games for the Deaf, Christchurch 1989.

Manawatu Deaf Society

article – Taonga source: The Press

Goodbye Christchurch, Hello Sofia

The sixteenth World Games for the Deaf wraps up on 18 January 1989, with the next hosts being Sofia, Bulgaria. Members of the New Zealand team perform a farewell haka for their overseas visitors.

Object – Taonga source: Margaret Coutts

Souvenir Spoon: 16th World Games for the Deaf, Christchurch 1989

Margaret Coutts

<img data-lazyloaded="1" data-placeholder-resp="128x128" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxMjgiIGhlaWdodD0iMTI4IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTI4IDEyOCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4=" width="128" height="128" data-src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-margaretcoutts.jpg" alt="Margaret Coutts" /><noscript><img data-lazyloaded="1" data-placeholder-resp="128x128" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxMjgiIGhlaWdodD0iMTI4IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTI4IDEyOCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4=" width="128" height="128" data-src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-margaretcoutts.jpg" alt="Margaret Coutts" /><noscript><img width="128" height="128" src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-margaretcoutts.jpg" alt="Margaret Coutts" />

Images – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society

Bronze Medallists from Auckland Deaf Society: New Zealand Deaf Women’s Basketball Team

Auckland Deaf Society

<img width="128" height="128" src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-ADS.jpg" alt="Auckland Deaf Society" />

article – Taonga source: The Press

Late basketball win

Ross Freemantle, of New Zealand, works his way into the Finnish goal area in a basketball match in the World Games for the Deaf at Cowles Stadium yesterday. The New Zealand team led until the last two seconds, but lost, 78-79.

article – Taonga source: The Press

Games crowd pleaser blind and deaf

One of the crowd favourites at the sixteenth World Games for the Deaf has been the blind and deaf wrestler from Canada, Pier Morten. Although being disadvantaged by not being able to see his opponents, Morten fights tenaciously and reacts speedily to holds applied on him.

publication – Taonga source: New Zealand Deaf News

NZ Deaf News: March 1983 (Vol. 20, No. 2)

Object – Taonga source: Margaret Coutts

Souvenir Key Ring: 16th World Games for the Deaf, Christchurch 1989

Margaret Coutts

<img data-lazyloaded="1" data-placeholder-resp="128x128" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxMjgiIGhlaWdodD0iMTI4IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTI4IDEyOCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4=" width="128" height="128" data-src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-margaretcoutts.jpg" alt="Margaret Coutts" /><noscript><img data-lazyloaded="1" data-placeholder-resp="128x128" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxMjgiIGhlaWdodD0iMTI4IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTI4IDEyOCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4=" width="128" height="128" data-src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-margaretcoutts.jpg" alt="Margaret Coutts" /><noscript><img width="128" height="128" src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-margaretcoutts.jpg" alt="Margaret Coutts" />

Object – Taonga source: Margaret Coutts

Gold Pin: Kiwi

Margaret Coutts

<img data-lazyloaded="1" data-placeholder-resp="128x128" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxMjgiIGhlaWdodD0iMTI4IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTI4IDEyOCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4=" width="128" height="128" data-src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-margaretcoutts.jpg" alt="Margaret Coutts" /><noscript><img data-lazyloaded="1" data-placeholder-resp="128x128" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxMjgiIGhlaWdodD0iMTI4IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTI4IDEyOCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4=" width="128" height="128" data-src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-margaretcoutts.jpg" alt="Margaret Coutts" /><noscript><img width="128" height="128" src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-margaretcoutts.jpg" alt="Margaret Coutts" />

article – Taonga source: The Press

Interpreters spent year on training

Nearly 90 Christchurch people have spent the last year training to be interpreters at the World Games for the Deaf, with about 50 deaf people teaching the volunteers their language.

article – Taonga source: Pam Witko

Going for gold

New Zealand's Michael Lynch is on target for a gold medal in the 200m butterfly event at the World Games for the Deaf.

Pam Witko

video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

Deafblind Wrestler competes at the 1989 World Games for the Deaf in Christchurch

Pier Morten, a Deafblind wrestler from Canada, participates in the 1989 World Games for the Deaf, in Christchurch.

Television New Zealand Archive

<img width="128" height="128" src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-TVNZ.jpg" alt="Television New Zealand Archive" />

article – Taonga source: The Press

Deaf athletes will be out to win medals

The vice-chairman of the organising committee, Mrs Margaret Coutts, said yesterday "for two weeks there will be more deaf people on the street than hearing people. My heart is filled with gold because of the very big turn out – there are more athletes here than at the previous World Games in America (in 1985)."

article – Taonga source: The Press

Twelve sports form busy programme

A summary of each sport featuring in the upcoming VXI World Deaf Games in Christchurch – soccer, table tennis, volleyball, basketball, handball, track and field, wrestling, cycling, swimming and badminton, with New Zealand contenders for medals.

article – Taonga source: Kerry Titcombe

Soccer win to Australia

New Zealand showed how much it has improved in the soccer tournament at the World Games for the Deaf when it took two goals in the last 5 min by Australia to beat it in the play-off for ninth place at English Park today.

Kerry Titcombe

Object – Taonga source: Lorraine Butler

Bronze Medal: Women’s Basketball, 16th World Deaf Games, Christchurch

Lorraine Butler

article – Taonga source: The Press

TVNZ taken to task

The chairman of the Hillary Commission, Sir Ronald Scott, has joined in the chorus of criticism over television coverage of the World Games for the Deaf. He said Television New Zealand was insensitive to the needs of the deaf when covering the Games.

article – Taonga source: Christchurch Star

Ingenuity puts them in the picture

Problems for photographers come in many forms. A prize-winning Christchurch photographer, Dick Poole, had his special worries at the World Games for the Deaf on Saturday. He used several methods to get the look he wanted – a little help from an interpreter, a little push and pull and a few signs.

article – Taonga source: The Press

Nice touch to start of Deaf Games

A touching moment at the opening of the World Games for the Deaf appeared to set the tone for the competition. The entire United States team lined up to touch hands with the Russian athletes as the Soviet team marched into place.

article – Taonga source: Christchurch Star

The finished result

The result of Dick Poole's efforts was the official team photograph of the New Zealand team. The team mascot is in the centre of the front row alongside the coaches and team officials.

Images – Taonga source: Margaret Coutts

Team Photo: New Zealand Deaf Sports Team: XVI World Games for the Deaf, Christchurch 1989

Margaret Coutts

<img data-lazyloaded="1" data-placeholder-resp="128x128" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxMjgiIGhlaWdodD0iMTI4IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTI4IDEyOCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4=" width="128" height="128" data-src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-margaretcoutts.jpg" alt="Margaret Coutts" /><noscript><img data-lazyloaded="1" data-placeholder-resp="128x128" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxMjgiIGhlaWdodD0iMTI4IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTI4IDEyOCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4=" width="128" height="128" data-src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-margaretcoutts.jpg" alt="Margaret Coutts" /><noscript><img width="128" height="128" src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-margaretcoutts.jpg" alt="Margaret Coutts" />

article – Taonga source: The Press

World Games for the Deaf: Wednesday 11 January 1989

A full page update from The Press, on the results from the World Games for the Deaf - Wednesday 11 January. Jumper lands in record books; Tennis moves back outdoors; Handball draws good crowds, U.S. below par in women's basketball, Miller bags two more; Today's programme and Results.

article – Taonga source: Sunday Times

Cancer forces athlete to pull out of Games

Olympic wrestling nominee Robert Algie is battling cancer in Palmerston North Hospital.

publication – Taonga source: New Zealand Deaf News

NZ Deaf News: January 1983 (Vol. 20, No. 1)