Letter from Interim President

Spring is finally here in Washington D.C., after a very long and hard winter.
It is simply wonderful seeing athletes practice outside and I then realize that athletes in the Southern Hemisphere are probably starting to dress warmly for their training during the fall season.  No matter what kind of climate, athletes continue to train!

Last month, the German Deaf Sports Federation invited me, as a guest of honor, to attend the 8th European Winter Sports Championships for the Deaf, held in Fuessen/Pfronten from 14 to 21 February.  Approximately 300 athletes from 15 European countries participated in 4 winter sports: alpine skiing, nordic skiing, snowboarding and ice hockey.  The organizing committee did a remarkable job in coordinating logistics from transportation to competition facilities to doping testing.  Many athletes are really practicing more diligently in order to be ready for a tougher competition during the next Winter Deaflympic Games in 2007 in Park City, Utah, USA. 

M2005 continues to communicate regularly about their progress for the 20th Deaflympic Games in Melbourne.  The most recent announcement was that the Federation Square will be the official site for registration, media distribution, social and cultural events and many more.  In addition, family members, relatives and friends of athletes should visit this website- http://www.event-travel.com.au/deaflympics to get more information on accommodation, travel services and tours that are readily available for booking. 

The Russian Committee for Deaf Sports is busy organizing the World Deaf Martial Arts Championships in Moscow, Russia in mid-May.  From the preliminary registration, a total of 17 countries have committed to send teams.  That is positive for martial arts when it applies for inclusion in the future Deaflympic Games. Results of the competitions shall be posted in the June edition of E-News.

Till next month!
Donalda K. Ammons

By Donalda Ammons