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Five young deaf men fundraising for Helenski are touring the North Island in their car to help finance their trip.

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.

Most of these taking part in the sports convention last weekend live in a silvent world constantly. Yet no observer could have mistaken the enjoyment the spectators at the badminton expressed in their conversation, using signs and movements of their arms, hands and lips.

Wayne Riggs (Wellington) beats Shaun Ruffel (Taranaki) to the wicket in a practice game by members of the Central District Deaf Sports team before the Saturday match against an Australian deaf team.

Susie Ovens, born 97% deaf, uses mime as one of the many methods to relate to the hearing world. She is also a member of the “Deaf Sign Singers”, a group of 11 deaf people who perform sign language to music.

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.

At the basketball, also at Cowles Stadium, the New Zealand women beat Australia, 91-65, to notch the host country's first win in the sport. New Zealand led 45-26 at half-time and is now in the running for the bronze medal.

Two Napier indoor basketball players have been selected for the Silent Olympics at Washington D.C. in June 1965. The two deaf players are Mervyn and Ray Foreman. Both brothers, who have played basketball since 1949, have represented Hawkes Bay in inter-provincial play. In 1951, the brothers moved to Auckland, where they played for the Deaf Demons and also represented Auckland. Their selection for the New Zealand team for the Silent Olympics was announced this week.

National Provident is proud to be the sole sponsor of the New Zealand team contesting the 16th World Games for the Deaf in Christchurch.

Members of the New Zealand basketball team practise at the YMCA for their upcoming trip next month to the International Games for the Deaf.