GB Deaflympics Team leave for Taipei

28 August 2009

Four of Britain's six tennis medallists from the 2005 Melbourne Deaflympics are among a squad of six players selected to represent Great Britain at the 21st Deaflympic Summer Games, which gets underway in Taipei on Saturday (5 September) with the official Opening Ceremony, before the tennis events begin on Sunday (6 September).

Northern Ireland's Anthony Sinclair made history in Melbourne, becoming Britain's first men's singles finalist for 40 years and the 25-year-old reigning National champion will contest his third Deaflympics in Taipei.

Sinclair is joined in Taipei by Darren O’Donnell, his men’s doubles bronze medal-winning partner from the Melbourne Games, Daniel Tunstall and Catherine Graham.  While Tunstall and Graham are the most experienced members of the Great Britain tennis squad, as they prepare to contest their fourth Deaflympics, the squad of six players is completed by Deaflympic Games debutants Lewis Fletcher and Jamie King.

“After winning silver and bronze medals in Melbourne, Taipei will be an interesting and undoubtedly a tough challenge,” said Sinclair, who is also a former European Championships men’s doubles bronze medallist with Cheshire’s O’Donnell.  “It is a really special and important event in my career and a massive event for deaf players from all over the world.”

While Sinclair won two medals in Melbourne, Tunstall also goes to Taipei as a two-time Deaflympic medallist and will bid for a medal at his third successive Games.  After making his Deaflympics Games debut in Copenhagen in 1997, the 30-year-old brother of singer-songwriter KT Tunstall won bronze in the mixed doubles at the Rome Games in 2001 and in Melbourne four years ago.  He was also a men’s doubles silver medallist at the 2004 European Championships.

Five of Britain’s six players selected for Taipei are LTA licensed coaches, with Tunstall one of three of the players who coach in Wiltshire.  Graham and Fletcher also coach in Wiltshire and, along with Tunstall, Graham is the most experienced of Britain’s tennis players in Taipei, having made her Deaflympic Games debut at the age of 14 in Copenhagen in 2007.  A women’s doubles bronze medallist in Melbourne in 2005, she is Britain’s lone women’s singles representative in Taipei, where she will also bid to add to her tally of major championships medals in the mixed doubles.

After making his Great Britain international debut in 2003, Fletcher contests his first Deaflympics, as does King.  The youngest of Britain’s tennis players in Taipei, Hampshire 19-year-old King, who is making his Great Britain debut in Taipei, is currently working towards coaching qualifications.

After several days of warm weather training and match practice at Bangkok Patana School in Thailand, Britain’s tennis squad arrived in Taipei on Monday along with National coaches Roger Jones and Lucie Ahl.

“It’s been such an exciting time in our efforts to reach our goal for the Deaflympics and now it is upon us we can't wait to make our dream a reality,” said Jones, National Deaf Tennis Manager.

Tennis will be one of 17 sports contested at the 21st Deaflympics in Taipei and one of eight sports in which Great Britain will be represented. 

More than 4200 athletes and officials from 85 countries will participate in the 21st Deaflympics Summer Games. 

The Games run from 5 – 15 September, with the tennis competition taking place from Sunday, 6 September – Sunday, 13 September at the Rainbow Riverside Sports Park in Taipei.      
 

The Summer and Winter Deaflympic Games are the pinnacle in international competition for elite deaf athletes.  Under International Deaflympic Committee criteria, to be eligible to compete athletes must have a proven hearing loss of 55dB in the best year.

Keep up to date with the results by visiting; www.2009deaflympics.org