SWE - Gunna reflects on career, deaf basketball and Zupan

STOCKHOLM (FIBA) - In October, Miha Zupan became the first deaf player to feature in a Euroleague game when he stepped on the court to represent Union Olimpija against Montepaschi Siena.

It was a remarkable achievement and one which, as pointed out to FIBA.com by Lyndon Borrow, president of the Deaf International Basketball Federation, would not have been possible without the achievements of Kjell GUNNA.

Kjell, now the Secretary General of the DIBF, played in the Euro Cup, a forerunner of the Euroleague, every year with Stockholm side Alvik from 1963 until 1975.

Alistair Mason got in touch with Kjell on behalf of FIBA.Com to ask him about his career.

FIBA: How did you first get into basketball as a child and how did that progress into playing at such a high level?

Kjell: "I was 10 years old and at that time I only played football together with my mates. It happened that the community put up two baskets by the football ground and I asked my older brother what these were for. He said, 'It's basketball, a new sport.' I tried to shoot a football and on my first try and I managed to take a 'clean shot' and immediately I was hooked on this sport.

"I tried to learn more but in Sweden, basketball always has been and still is a minor sport. It was not and is still not easy to find something to watch in TV or read in newspapers. So I continued with my football but also spent hours alone trying to shoot that round thing through the hoop. I can imagine my shooting style might have been somewhat awkward, I guess sometimes bad memory is a blessing.

"But I was stubborn and all the I time tried to find out more about basketball by reading books and magazines about basketball and looking at pictures and my favourite club soon became the Boston Celtics with their dynasty. Occasionally I came across a basketball film from the USA and could watch the NBA stars, especially Bob Cousy, for hours and try to shoot like them.

"In my hometown Stockholm, I joined Alvik Basketball Club and by almost 16 years of age, I became a Swedish champion for the first time and could start taking part in the European Cup and meet international basketball players for the first time and thus could improve and develop my play. At 18, I played my first international game with the Swedish National Team."

FIBA: As a deaf player, what were the challenges that faced you and what help was out there for you?

KG: "The first thing I had to learn was to watch all the court, stay aware all the time of what was happening and where all players and referees were standing because I could not hear their shouting or whistles or other sounds. I was the first Swedish player ever to fully handle the ball with both my hands, I could dribble the ball with both my hands the full court at full speed, watching the players behind me, moving myself to prevent them from reaching me.

"But there was no help for me. I had to figure it all out myself. Nowadays, with millions of TV-channels, the internet and everything, I for the first time can watch international basketball and see how they play live. For me I was young in the wrong country at the wrong time. Sometimes I wonder what I would have been had I grown up in the USA or any other basketball crazy country like Lithuania or the Balkan countries.

"As I developed my play, I became one of the leading players in the team with a lot of ideas and comments about our play and our practices and they had to listen to me because I could not listen to them. That is why I could play a leading role which otherwise is very difficult for deaf players in hearing teams."

FIBA: What are your happiest memories from the basketball court?

KG: "Just being on the court with the ball and playing with my team-mates are my happiest memories. It was so goddamn fun to play basketball. And my favourite play was to penetrate the defense, drive to the basket and have the tall centers stumbling down and fouling me while I was passing the ball to a free team-mate under the basket. At those times, I was really smiling.

FIBA: How did you get involved with the DIBF?

KG: "To understand this, one has to know how international deaf sports organisations are built up. For many, many years, in fact since 1924, there has been only one overall international deaf sports organisation called the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD), formerly the the Comité International des Sports des Sourds (CISS), corresponding to the IOC. ICSD administrated all international deaf sports such as football, swimming, volleyball and more but with no resources and with no development of international deaf basketball. We were not satisfied with this and founded the Deaf International Basketball Federation (DIBF) in 1998. We joined FIBA and thereby we finally could get some financial assistance and resources to reach deaf people around the world and start developing deaf basketball including managing the regional and world deaf basketball championships.

"Our model of how to work is the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) with whom we have the excellent relations and cooperation. We are very happy with them and of course with the support of FIBA. This is really great for us."
 
FIBA: What help can the DIBF provide for deaf players that was not available when you were younger?

KG: "The DIBF now try to provide the international deaf basket people with coaches and development clinics, women and youth basketball clinics/camps with not only basketball but also teaching them about leaderships, the HIV/Aids danger, doping question, social roles, gender equality and much more. We also arrange deaf referees clinics encouraging young deaf basketballers to become referees. We are arranging international deaf basketball tournaments and much more to give deaf people the joy and confidence to play basketball both with and against deaf and hearing people. 

"In most countries around the world, deaf people are discriminated against with poor education possibilities, schools which lack quality and with very limited opportunities to do something with their lives. Nothing of this was available to them before the founding of the DIBF. The ICSD only concentrated on arranging the Deaflympic Games every fourth year, corresponding to Olympic Games, and nothing more was done with clinics or development activities such as the DIBF do.

"Many deaf people face difficulties if they have 'hearing' instructors or coaches with a sign language interpreter or communication assistant. We were successful in delivering this aim largely due to our deafness with sign language capabilities to communicate to any deaf people directly rather than third-person regardless of their spoken/written language from around the world. It was just natural for all deaf people to be able to communicate effectively with anyone who are deaf using visual expression and hand signs. To date, no other countries or organisation has achieved this as much as DIBF has.

FIBA: How much attention have you paid to the career of Miha Zupan and were you pleased to see him make his Euroleague debut?

KG: "The first time I saw Miha Zupan play was during the European Basketball Championships of the Deaf in Patra, Greece, 2000. After that I have seen him play on two or three more occasions in deaf tournaments and noticed his development.

"I paid attention to his soft but tough, cat-like appearance on the court. He was running and jumping so easily for being so tall so I understood that he very soon would be at the top in 'hearing' basketball. But I did not expect this much, like playing in the Euroleague. This is quite exceptional. Unfortunately, I was not aware of his Euroleague debut as newspaper and TV reports from international basketball are very sparse in Sweden. I found out about his debut on FIBA.com but I will try to follow his career as much as I can."

FIBA: Can his story provide inspiration for other young players?

KG: "Oh yes, sure! He is living proof that deaf basketball players can reach the top level of basketball. In fact, deaf players have a head, two arms and two legs - same as all other hearing basketball players - it only takes a lot of attention, training and hard, sweating work to reach the top level. But then on the other hand, there are very big difficulties for deaf players to make their way among hearing players with a lot of talking during games, time-outs and practices, travelling around and such things that they can not hear. It is very easy to be dropped off and taken no notice of - unless you are an extremely qualified player like Miha Zupan."   

FIBA: What do you think of the state of the game in Europe in general?

KG: "For both hearing and deaf basketball, there has been an enormous development in Europe over the last 10-15 years. For a very long time, the USA has been the leading nation in international basketball for both deaf and hearing but Europe and also Asia are now catching up. Twice the deaf USA men's team has lost the tournament for DIBF World Championships and the hearing team has not had any success in FIBA World Championships either, lately. Many European players are now achieving success in the NBA but, of course, when you look at international basketball overall the USA is still number one .

"With regards to Europe, one can notice that 10 to 15 years ago, many teams in Europe, both deaf and hearing, played almost only the zone-defense. This kind of playing is not good for development, in my opinion. If you only practice and play zone-defense then you will be edged meeting a team playing hard-nosed man-to-man defense such as USA used to do. Therefore, practising and playing man-to-man a lot, with a careful mix of other tactics on defense, is the best for developing individual players.

"Additionally, I would like to mention that I was proud to form and coach the Sweden Deaf men's and women's teams. Most of them were my former pupils at a deaf school where I used to work as Physical Education teacher. Since the mid 1980s, Sweden's deaf teams were ranking number two in the world for almost 20 years - only losing to the USA in any matches. It was a very unusual achievement that Sweden, in hearing or deaf, has never achieved before.

"The teams stood together so well and nurtured young players. Then about six years ago, the Deaf Sweden men's team died out unfortunately due to latest new sports craze, floorball, in Sweden that many boys were attracted to. Nevertheless, the Sweden deaf women's team remains and still ranks second in the world today. They only lost by one or two points to USA women a few times, including the recent 2007 DIBF World Deaf Basketball Championships in China, which is frustrating."

FIBA