Christchurch Mayor wishes luck to region's Deaflympians

17 December 2004

Canterbury members of the Deaflympics Summer Games team will leave for Melbourne over the next few weeks and Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore hosted an official farewell on Thursday (16 December) to wish the athletes and officials good luck in their endeavours.

Deaf sportspeople have been holding an international tournament since 1924. Christchurch hosted the games in 1989. Then called the World Deaf Games, it was the first time the games had been held in the southern hemisphere and the last time New Zealand fielded a sizable team.

This summer’s games, in Melbourne from 5-16 January, are expected to attract more than 3500 athletes and officials.

Attending from this part of New Zealand are: Women’s basketball; Claudia Arjun, Andie Vowles, Paula Haworth, Bonnie Buzzard (Chch), Conna Mitchell (Gore), Nirvana Harkin (Dunedin), Phil Burns (coach) and Gillian McFarlane (assistant coach). Men’s basketball; Craig Haworth and Paul Buzzard (assistant coach)
Women’s ten-pin bowling;  Lillian Henwood, Sue Penman (Chch) and Joan Davidsen (Nelson). Men’s ten-pin bowling; Tom Still and Pao Paul. Badminton; Gillian Ramsey (Timaru). Officials: Janet Stokes (DSFNZ secretary and congress representative), Evelyn Pateman (NZSL interpreter) and Tamara Singer (physiotherapist)

The Deaf Sports Federation of New Zealand was set up in 1963 to bring deaf people together through sports.  The federation is sending a team of 60 participants and officials to the Summer Games in Melbourne. The New Zealand Deaflympic Team’s sponsors are the Lion Foundation, Eureka Trust, NZ Community Trust and the New Zealand Government. Deaf Sports Federation of New Zealand thanks the executive board of DSFNZ and the wider community for their support and generosity in helping deaf New Zealanders get to the Melbourne games.

● For more information about the Deaflympics, look on the web at www.deaflympics.com For more information about the upcoming games in Melbourne, look at http://2005deaflympics.com/

Top of Page ~ Media Release index