Mark Gill from Longwell Green is leading the Great Britain deaf women’s football team for the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics in November.
Since his appointment as head coach for the team in January this year, Mark has been coordinating the team’s training schedule and fundraising for the big event.
He said: “Being selected as the head coach of Great Britain’s deaf women’s football team is an immense honour. Our players have been selected from across the UK, and we currently train one full weekend each month in Doncaster. As we approach the Olympics, training will increase to twice a month, with plans to hold sessions in different regions to make travel more manageable for the squad.”
“The women in our squad reflect the rich diversity of the deaf community in the UK. Each player has a unique background, shaped by factors such as their level of hearing loss, education, and family environment. Some players use British Sign Language, others lip-read, and some are fluent in English while others are not.
“We have players who attended deaf schools, as well as those who attended mainstream schools. Some come from deaf families, while others are from hearing families. This diversity brings a wide range of communication preferences, all of which I carefully consider in my coaching.”
The Deaflympics is an international multi-sport event for deaf athletes held every four years organised by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD). The first games, held in Paris in 1924, were the first-ever international sporting event for athletes with a disability. The Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics mark the centenary of the event.
Mark has been involved in deaf sport throughout his life – both as a player and a coach – having coached teams for both the 2009 and 2013 Deaflympics. The team has the support of the deaf community of approximately 90,000 British Sign Language users, along with many thousands of people who have hearing loss.
Mark said: “In addition to communication styles, there is a wide variation in training levels across the team. Many players have a raw talent that, due to inaccessibility of local clubs, has not been nurtured to the extent of their potential.”
An additional challenge for deaf athletes is a lack of funding from UK Sport or the Football Association. Therefore, in order to participate in events like the Deaflympics, athletes must fundraise to cover the cost of approximately £4,000 for each athlete to be eligible to compete.
Mark said: “Despite this stark disparity, we are determined to get our team to Tokyo and are working tirelessly to raise the necessary funds. Each team member is dedicated and committed to training, attending every coaching session I run. They are a cohesive team that supports one another, united by a common goal—to be the best team they can be and to aim for gold!”
To support the GB Deaf Women’s Football contact gbdfsponsorship@gmail.com. If you wish to contribute to Mark Gill’s fundraising appeal visit: https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/fundraising/mark-gill.