Welcome to the Deaflympics

Have you heard about the Deaflympics? Well, this article is your perfect introduction to it. Learn about how it's adapted, the different sports competed, when it was founded and many more interesting facts!

(Image credits to Ukdeafsport.org.uk)

Image description: 

On the left hand side is a circle shaped with the colours blue, red, yellow and green. Towards the right the word “Deaflympics” is written out in large bold all capital letters. Just below that, smaller letters spelling out “Recognised by International Olympic Committee.” This is all on a white background.

What is the Deaflympics?

The Deaflympics is an international multi-sport event for Deaf athletes. It is held every four years, similarly to the Olympics. Organised by people who are deaf, the competition is hosted in both summer and winter with a variety of sports in each programme, allowing other hard-of-hearing people to compete. Popular sports competed include football, swimming, volleyball and many more.

History

The first edition of the Deaflympics was held in Paris in 1924 and was known as the International Silent Games. This was also the first sporting event for people with disabilities. The Deaflympics is the oldest multisport event after the Olympic Games. At the time when the Deaflympics was first starting, people who were hard of hearing were treated as outcasts, largely due to the many misconceptions about deafness. The deaf community created the games in hopes that it could disprove these beliefs. This was all put together to help accomplish dreams. The competition and the Games immediately became known in many countries, encouraging discussions about the similarities, differences and the hardships of the deaf community. As a result, misconceptions about deaf people were greatly reduced in many parts of society around the world. Today, the number of national federations in the ICSD membership has reached 116, a big difference from the original 9 countries almost 100 years ago, among recent newcomers enjoying the benefits of the worldwide network of sports and social inclusion. 

Games

The Deaflympics hosts a range of sports including athletics, basketball, beach volleyball, bowling, cycling road, football, futsal, goalf, handball, judo, karate, mountain bike, orientering, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, wrestling freestyle, wrestling Greco-Roman, alpine skiing, chess, cross country skiing, curling, ice hockey and snowboarding.

Qualifications

Athletes must have a confirmed hearing loss of at least 55 decibels (dB) in their better ear (based on a three-tone frequency average at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hertz, using the ISO 1969 standard). Athletes are not allowed to use hearing aids during the game. 

Adaptations

The games are adapted with visual cues to replace auditory signals. For example, lights are for starting races and sports such as football instead of flags. The rules for the sports remain the same, but adaptations ensure deaf athletes receive clear and equal communication for fair play.

Deaflympics 2025

From the 15th of November 2025 till the 26th of November 2025, the Deaflympics will be held in Tokyo, Japan, presenting 21 sports. If you're interested and want to learn more by watching the games, I'd recommend tuning in!

LET'S MAKE DEAF SPORTS MORE SEEN!

Article written by Nailah Gajia