First Day of the CISS Congress- March 8

Schweizerischer Gehörlosen Sport Verband President Walter Zaugg opened the CISS Congress with a welcome. After regional updates, President Lovett presented his report of the past two years. The CISS budget report was approved, and the committee went on with proposals which were carried on from the last Congress in 1997. Some of the proposals approved on 8 March include: CISS President John Lovett of Australia

• changing the name of the World Games of the Deaf to Deaf World Games,
• shortening the length of the Summer Games from 14 to 10 days,
• encouraging that all Olympic Games held after the Rome Deaf World Games in 2001 be held in a village, promoting the closeness of athletes and spectators
• and changing the membership fee structure, formerly based on clubs and now based on individual members within each national sport association.