Deaf Sports
1884 - 1963: Eugène Rubens-Alke
Eugène Rubens-Alke is considered to be the first pioneer of sports movement for the deaf.
1924: First World Games for the Deaf
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.
The games have been organized by the Comité International des Sports des Sourds (CISS, "The International Committee of Sports for the Deaf") since the first event in 1924.
The first games, held in Paris in 1924, were also the first ever international sporting event for athletes with a disability. The event has been held every four years since, apart from a break for World War II, and an additional event, the Deaflympic Winter Games, was added in 1949.
1926 - 2009: Mario D'Agata (IT)
Mario D'Agata (29 May 1926 – 4 April 2009) was an Italian professional boxer, who was the first, and so far only, deaf world champion in boxing.
1983: Foundation of EDSO, European Deaf Sports Organisation
Previous to the foundation of the EDSO in 1983 there were already European Championships of the Deaf since 1967. At this time they were still under the auspices of the Comité International des Sports (CISS), the World Federation of Deaf Sports. However, since their task was the promotion of deaf sports world-wide, they were not able to organise European Championships on a regular basis.
For this reason the countries Belgium, Netherlands, France and Germany took the initiative to found a European Deaf Sport Federation which had the task to provide orderly and regular European Championships. For this reason the delegates of the 4 countries met a few times to determine the shape and the programme of a European Deaf Sport Federation.
40 countries with 50.000 athletes in 1.000 Deaf Sports Clubs are members of the EDSO.
2010: Deaf International Football Association
The Deaf International Football Association (DIFA) was officially registered by the Registration Chamber in Geneva (Switzerland) on June 14, 2010. For development of football, holding competitions and international tournaments in high level, legal organization DIFA (Deaf International Football Association) was created.