The International Committee of Sports for the Deaf is the apex body organizing international sports events for the deaf, particularly the Deaflympics (previously called World Games for the Deaf). It is also called the Comité International des Sports des Sourds (CISS). The organization was founded in Paris by Eugène Rubens-Alcais, who organized the first "International Silent Games" in 1924. Alcais was himself deaf and was the president of the French Deaf Sports Federation.
CISS, now also called ICSD, is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland.
History
The early pioneers of the international deaf sports movement were Eugène Rubens-Alcais (France) and Antoine Dresse (Belgium).
The first Summer Games were held in Paris in 1924, and started with 148 athletes from nine countries (France, Belgium, Great Britain, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania and Czechoslovakia). The first Winter Games were instituted in 1949 at Seefeld, Austria. They attracted 33 athletes from five countries.
In 1935, Japan joined CISS as the first Asian member and the United States as the first North American member. Australia and New Zealand joined later in 1955 as the first members from Oceania. The first African member was South Africa, in 1975.
After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the CISS banned athletes from Russia and Belarus from that year's Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil.
Events Deaflympics
The Deaflympics (previously called World Games for the Deaf, and International Games for the Deaf) are an International Olympic Committee (IOC)-sanctioned event at which deaf athletes compete at an elite level.
World championships World Deaf Badminton Championships World Deaf Football Championships World Deaf Volleyball Championships
Presidents 1924-1953: Eugène Rubens-Alcais 1953-1955: Oscar Ryden 1955-1961: Jens Peter Nielsen 1961-1971: Pierre Bernhard 1971-1995: Jerald M. Jordan 1995-2003: John M. Lovett 2003-2009: Donalda Ammons Kay 2009-2013: Craig A. Crowley 2013-2018: Valery Nikititch Rukhledev 2019-2020: Chinese Taipei Kang Chen 2021-2022: Gustavo de Araújo Perazzolo 2022-present: Ádám Kósa
See also Deaf people in sports International Olympic Committee International Paralympic Committee Special Olympics
References
External links International Committee of Sports for the Deaf Welcome! CISS.org | ICSD