A few years later, we recall how it was…
From 2008 to 2016, the World Deaf Football Championships were held under the auspices of the ICSD. In 2023, the World Deaf Football Championships were organized by DIFA together with the ICSD.
10-17.08.2008. Patrias, Greece. The first World Deaf Football Championship was attended by 16 men’s and 7 women’s teams. In fact, everyone who expressed a desire and managed to get to Greece. And Germany became world football champions in the final match with Turkey, and the Russian team became the women’s team.
16-27.07.2012. Ankara, Turkey. The second world deaf football championship was held in Ankara, Turkey. The hosts’ path to triumph was not easy – in the final, the Turkish team won a strong-willed victory over the Egypt team.
The World Deaf Football Championships were the US women’s team.
19.06.-02.07.2016. Capaccio, Italy. The most boring and low-scoring world deaf football championships in history. The Turkish football players retained the roster from four years ago and again became champions, although in Ankara, Turkey, they did not look so bright. In the final, the Turkish team beat the German team. And the US women’s team became champions again for the second time…
2020. did not take place due to Covid.
23.09.-07.10.2023. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 4th World Deaf Football Championships was held in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).
“Yes, it happened,” said Iakov Frenkel on October 7, 2023, falling into the arms of his DIFA colleagues immediately after the main final match of his life. Of course, that’s what happened: Ukraine, after the long-awaited historical event, became world champions, and captain Dmytro Ukrainets finally secured his status as the winner of the 21st century.
In the final of the World Deaf Football Championships in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), the Ukrainian team beat the strong Japanese team in a match that can safely be called the best final in the history of major football tournaments. The incredible plot of the game, the intensity of passions, the confrontation of leaders – it was a real battle of equals and, undoubtedly, the strongest teams of the championship.
The entire championship was held to the sound of vuvuzelas, the popular Malaysian horns. It was the heyday of the Ukrainian team, which became world champions for the first time.
The strongest US women’s team won for the third time and became the champion of football for the deaf
The Japanese and Senegalese showed an incredible and competent game, I am sure that in 2027 many teams in the world will show an even more interesting and, of course, intense fight.
