The International Committee of Sports for the Deaf has altered the rules for how teams qualify for futsal in the Deaflympics 2027, according to the Swedish Deaf Sports Federation. Previously, Sweden had been informed that its men's national team was already qualified for the Deaflympics and therefore did not need to play the European Championship, an official said. The ICSD has removed the rule that linked qualification to the world ranking after the World Championship, which directly affects Sweden, according to an official.
The specific changes to the qualification rules and the reasons for altering them during the ongoing process have not been disclosed by ICSD. The Swedish Deaf Sports Federation states that it is unacceptable to change the qualification standard during an ongoing qualification process and that it believes this violates several of ICSD's statutes. SDI is trying to arrange a formal meeting with ICSD, an official confirmed.
Additionally, SDI is receiving legal advice from the Swedish Sports Confederation on how the process should be carried out and function going forward, according to an official. The specific ICSD statutes that SDI alleges have been violated, the current status of Sweden's qualification, and the timing and expected outcomes of the formal meeting remain unknown.