Sisters head for Deaflympics

From: This is Local London - UK - Dec 20, 2004

By Mike Flynn

GREENFORD sisters Clare and Davina Davies are jetting off to Australia to take part in the Deaflympic Games next month.

The duo will both represent Great Britain in the women's football competition at the 20th summer Deaflympic Games in Melbourne.

Clare, 20, and Davina, 22, are both forwards and both play for the North East London-based St Johns Deaf FC, while Clare also plays for Enfield Ladies FC.

They will be among the first of the British athletes to leave for Australia, departing on Boxing Day in preparation for the start of the football competition on January 4, a day before the official opening ceremony.

Seven teams are set to contest the women's football competition with Great Britain drawn in a group of four for the preliminaries, where they will face Brazil, Denmark and the United States.

A total of 3,500 deaf and hard of hearing athletes and team officials from 90 countries will participate in 15 different individual and team sporting events at the Games.

It is the second oldest multi-sport and cultural festival on earth, having started in Paris in 1924.

9:23am Monday 20th December 2004

© Copyright 2001-2004 Newsquest Media Group - A Gannett Company