Being deaf can be difficult for many, but it won’t hinder these athletes from doing what they love.
Every four to five years, the Deaf International Basketball Federation (DIBF) hold world championships for several nations to compete for ultimate glory.
This past fortnight saw Heraklion, Crete, Greece, play host to the 2023 World Deaf Basketball Championships.
The event saw 16 men teams and eight women teams compete for gold, silver and bronze.
Argentina, Australia, China, Dominican Republic, Greece, Hong Kong, Israel, Kenya, Lebanon, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, United States and Venezuela were all represented by the men while Greece, Italy, Kenya, Lithuania, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine and United States all had a woman’s team.
In what was the first time in six years a deaf Australian team attended an international-level tournament, the Australian Goannas, as they’re named, found themselves in Group A with Greece.
The Greek men dominated the group stage, winning all three games, while the Aussies won just one.
The group stage performance didn’t follow through to the finals however, with Greece finishing fifth place in the final standings.
For the women the group stage was more difficult, coming up against eventual finalists Ukraine and USA.
USA took home the gold for the women, Ukraine was second, while the Greek team finished third overall, beating Italy 53 to 45 to take Bronze.
Over the years, Greece has seen much success in these tournaments.
In 2019, the Greek women took home the gold, and in 2007, both teams made the podium, with the men finishing second and the women third.
2002 also saw Greece host the event like this year, back then it was in Athens. The men won the tournament while the women finished third.