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Australian deaf football team visits Blayney - Local News - Sport - Football - Soccer - Blayney Chronicle
Twenty of Australia's best deaf football players have spent the past four days in Blayney taking part in a training camp designed to prepare them for a tilt at qualifying for the 2013 Deaf Olympics in Hungary.
Deaf Football Australia (DFA) coaching staff will use the camp to determine the final side it hopes will travel to Korea for the upcoming Deaf Olympics qualifiers.
Blayney's own Mark Davis has taken part in the camp, which will culminate today with a friendly match between the DFA boys and the Orange Waratah's first grade side at Waratah Sports Ground in Orange.
While in town the players have been making use of King George Oval for training and CentrePoint Sport and Leisure centre for fitness and recovery sessions.
The Blayney visit is the second out west for DFA players and officials after their first trip to Orange last year.
DFA team assistant coach and former Young Socceroos representative Rob Stanton said the success of the visits out west could lead to even bigger events in the future.
"We want to grow this, we see the potential to bring an international team here and have a cup competition over five days with local teams," he said.
DFA Secretary Brian Seymour said visits to country towns like Orange and Blayney were also about raising the awareness of DFA and the deaf community.
"Lots of deaf people who live in the country don't really know that there are groups like DFA out there that they can get involved in so we hope by coming out here that we can raise a bit of awareness," he said.
"We're also looking for potential sponsors because we get hardly any funding and operate on a shoe string budget."
The lack of funding means players and their families have to foot the bill for most of the travel and other expenses associated with being part of an international sporting team.
"Paralympians are funded, mainstream Olympians are funded but the government doesn't fund the deaf Olympics," Mr Seymour said.
"Because the deaf community is small politically, the government doesn't pay attention."
To say thanks for the hospitality during their stay, DFA players and officials will attend Australia Day celebrations this morning at Blayney's Heritage Park before their friendly clash with the Waratah's in Orange at 2pm.
Twenty of Australia's best deaf football players have spent the past four days in Blayney taking part in a training camp designed to prepare them for a tilt at qualifying for the 2013 Deaf Olympics in Hungary.
Deaf Football Australia (DFA) coaching staff will use the camp to determine the final side it hopes will travel to Korea for the upcoming Deaf Olympics qualifiers.
Blayney's own Mark Davis has taken part in the camp, which will culminate today with a friendly match between the DFA boys and the Orange Waratah's first grade side at Waratah Sports Ground in Orange.
While in town the players have been making use of King George Oval for training and CentrePoint Sport and Leisure centre for fitness and recovery sessions.
The Blayney visit is the second out west for DFA players and officials after their first trip to Orange last year.
DFA team assistant coach and former Young Socceroos representative Rob Stanton said the success of the visits out west could lead to even bigger events in the future.
"We want to grow this, we see the potential to bring an international team here and have a cup competition over five days with local teams," he said.
DFA Secretary Brian Seymour said visits to country towns like Orange and Blayney were also about raising the awareness of DFA and the deaf community.
"Lots of deaf people who live in the country don't really know that there are groups like DFA out there that they can get involved in so we hope by coming out here that we can raise a bit of awareness," he said.
"We're also looking for potential sponsors because we get hardly any funding and operate on a shoe string budget."
The lack of funding means players and their families have to foot the bill for most of the travel and other expenses associated with being part of an international sporting team.
"Paralympians are funded, mainstream Olympians are funded but the government doesn't fund the deaf Olympics," Mr Seymour said.
"Because the deaf community is small politically, the government doesn't pay attention."
To say thanks for the hospitality during their stay, DFA players and officials will attend Australia Day celebrations this morning at Blayney's Heritage Park before their friendly clash with the Waratah's in Orange at 2pm.