During the tournament, which began on 5 September, the team is competing in four of the 20 events: beach volleyball, table tennis, swimming and bowling. All those taking part are either deaf or hard of hearing. Some of the other events in the Summer Deaflympics are badminton, karate, cycling and football.

In existence for an astonishing 85 years, it’s the only global sporting event for deaf people, and it’s the first time it’s being held in Asia. More than 5,000 athletes and staff from 81 countries are participating this year, the largest in the history of Deaflympics.

The authorities in Taiwan, which have provided 29 venues for the event, have gone to considerable lengths to ensure the Belgian delegation is made welcome during the 11-day competition. A primary school in suburban Taipei is the official host school for the Belgian team.

Shen Lyushun, Taiwan’s Representative to the EU and Belgium, says the hosts provide assistance wherever and whenever possible. “This ranges from transportation and tour guidance to cheerleading for the Belgians at the games,” he says. “We hope that these events serve to better unite all deaf communities in the world. It’s also an opportunity for Taiwan to showcase its many fine features to thousands of people from the rest of the world.”

The Belgian team includes Kristof De Weerdt, 36, who made his international debut in 2003 in beach volleyball. Belgium is also represented in bowling by Paul Simons, 45-year-old member of the Bruges club, while Koen Adriaenssens, 33, is competing in swimming. All three men live in Antwerp province. Kurt Van Dam, 32, from Zaventem, meanwhile, represents his country in table tennis.

The Deaflympics provides “important recognition” for the athletes, says Paul De Weerdt, delegation leader for the Belgian team and member of the Turnhout athletics club. “It enables them to be recognised in their own right as top-class athletes in their particular discipline. That is the beauty of such an event.”

The importance of sport to the deaf or hard of hearing “is probably much greater than it is for an able-bodied person,” says Luc Rampaer, communication manager of the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee. “In the past, the number of deaf people participating in sport was on the decline; but, I am pleased to say, that unwelcome trend has been reversed.”

“It is a great honour to be associated with these people,” continues De Weerdt. “They have worked really hard to get where they are, which is at the peak of their abilities, competing with the best from around the world.”

The Summer Deaflympics was first held in Paris back in 1924, when it was called the World Games for the Deaf. The Winter Deaflympics were added in 1949. It was – and remains – the only global sporting event for deaf people.

Both Summer and Winter events are held every four years (outside of an interruption during the Second World War); Belgium hosted for the first (and to date only) time in 1953, which was a Winter year. In 1995, the events received official recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), whose current president is the Belgian Jacques Rogge. The last Summer Deaflympics was held in Melbourne in 2005; Athens will host in 2013.

This year, Taiwan has adopted the sprightly Taipei green tree frog as its mascot, known for its bursting vitality, and the games will be accompanied by plenty of razzmatazz. “Preparations have long been underway to make these the most spectacular Deaflympics games ever, and Taipei has fallen under the spell of Deaflympics fever,” says Shen. “This event will mark a historic milestone for the hosting of international sporting events in Taiwan.”

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