XI World Games of the Deaf

It was in Belgrade that the competition of diving made its final appearance.  It had not been brought back into international deaf competition since then.  It was one of the original sport disciplines to make quadrennial appearances in the Games consecutively since 1924.  

It was also in this Games that the new sports of handball and volleyball made their debut.  The first athletic multi-sport event was introduced as well, the pentathlon.

Most noteworthy was the jump in number of athletic participants of over 500 and breaking the thousand mark.  The record of 1,189 athletes stood for the next two Games before being broken in 1981.

 

Location: Belgrade Serbia (SRB)
Opening Date: 09 Aug 1969
Closing Date: 16 Aug 1969
Nations: 33
Athletes: 1189
     Men: 964
     Women: 225