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Sixteen Wellingtonians are part of the 97 strong New Zealand team to compete in the 16th World Games for the Deaf in Christchurch. Local members of the team and the sport they are competing in are listed.

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.

Swimmer Michael Lynch claimed New Zealand's second medla of the World Games for the Deaf when he took the bronze in the 100m butterfly.

The first big controversy wracked the sixteenth World Games for the Deaf in Christchurch yesterday, when members of the Soviet table tennis team had to take an audio test because of suspicions that they could hear too well.

The New Zealand team found itself out of its depth in the World Deaf Games soccer tournament, being crushed 18-0 by Netherlands in its opening match on Saturday night at Queen Elizabeth II Park.

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)."

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.

The New Zealand volleyball team was missing its top five players when it came up against the Italians in its first match in the World Games for the Deaf. New Zealand went down to the more experienced Italians, 3-0, failing to score any points.

New Zealand was beaten by Australia in the basketball at Cowles Stadium today, 76-63. The New Zealand captain, Tony McGill, put the first points on the board with an impressive three pointer but the Kiwis could not keep the pressure on.

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

Penny Went collected a silver medal at the last World Games for the Deaf – now she is home and aiming for gold.

Deaf people can communicate country to country with more ease than those who can speak. It is not because they have an international sign language – each country has its own – but because it is a visual language.

The members of New Zealand deaf team signed into the Ilam games village yesterday. First to put pen to paper was Malcolm Clausen, watched by other members of the men's basketball team.