Miss-Delectable
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Complaint over treatment of deaf athlete
When he competed in the Queensland track and field championships in August, Sekou Kanneh's speed over 100 metres and 200 metres assured him of a chance to shine at this month's national titles in Darwin.
The 11-year-old Brisbane schoolboy, who can't hear the starter's gun at the beginning of a race, came second in both events.
Because he is deaf, he watches for those he is competing against to move first before he sets off.
It can mean the difference becoming coming first and second, says the president of Deaf Sports Australia (DSA), Brent Phillips.
To allow him to obtain a fairer start, the organisation has asked School Sports Australia to supply Sekou, who is representing Queensland at the national titles, with a visual prompt at the starting line.
"But School Sports Australia has declined, citing it would create a precedent which would create problems for the organisation in the future," Mr Phillips said in a statement on Thursday.
Competing in the "athletes with a disability" division is an option, because it would allow Sekou access to a visual prompt at the start of a race, but DSA says he shouldn't be denied opportunities to race on an equal footing with able-bodied athletes.
"Through our National Schools Education Program, we have educated and motivated young deaf athletes that they can aspire to be the very best, and to see Kanneh denied the opportunity to race on an equal footing with able-bodied athletes goes against everything we have been promoting and advocating," he said.
"What sort of message is this communicating to young deaf athletes?"
DSA has lodged a discrimination claim with the Australian Human Rights Commission on Sekou's behalf in an attempt to resolve the situation.
School Sport Australia CEO Steve Kalend said the national championships in Darwin were run "in accordance with the regulations of the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) and Athletics Australia".
Both bodies do not allow for visual prompts, Mr Kalend told AAP on Thursday.
"We did offer assistance to the young boy prior to the race, but we can't be seen to be providing any advantage to one person over any other," he said.
"The only thing we can do is to run the race according to the regulations that prevail."
Asked if he thought a visual prompt could give Sekou an unfair advantage over his competitors, Mr Kalend replied: "It could, in that it may distract the other runners."
When he competed in the Queensland track and field championships in August, Sekou Kanneh's speed over 100 metres and 200 metres assured him of a chance to shine at this month's national titles in Darwin.
The 11-year-old Brisbane schoolboy, who can't hear the starter's gun at the beginning of a race, came second in both events.
Because he is deaf, he watches for those he is competing against to move first before he sets off.
It can mean the difference becoming coming first and second, says the president of Deaf Sports Australia (DSA), Brent Phillips.
To allow him to obtain a fairer start, the organisation has asked School Sports Australia to supply Sekou, who is representing Queensland at the national titles, with a visual prompt at the starting line.
"But School Sports Australia has declined, citing it would create a precedent which would create problems for the organisation in the future," Mr Phillips said in a statement on Thursday.
Competing in the "athletes with a disability" division is an option, because it would allow Sekou access to a visual prompt at the start of a race, but DSA says he shouldn't be denied opportunities to race on an equal footing with able-bodied athletes.
"Through our National Schools Education Program, we have educated and motivated young deaf athletes that they can aspire to be the very best, and to see Kanneh denied the opportunity to race on an equal footing with able-bodied athletes goes against everything we have been promoting and advocating," he said.
"What sort of message is this communicating to young deaf athletes?"
DSA has lodged a discrimination claim with the Australian Human Rights Commission on Sekou's behalf in an attempt to resolve the situation.
School Sport Australia CEO Steve Kalend said the national championships in Darwin were run "in accordance with the regulations of the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) and Athletics Australia".
Both bodies do not allow for visual prompts, Mr Kalend told AAP on Thursday.
"We did offer assistance to the young boy prior to the race, but we can't be seen to be providing any advantage to one person over any other," he said.
"The only thing we can do is to run the race according to the regulations that prevail."
Asked if he thought a visual prompt could give Sekou an unfair advantage over his competitors, Mr Kalend replied: "It could, in that it may distract the other runners."
