The opening ceremony for the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics was held Saturday in the capital of Japan, which hosts the quadrennial international sporting event for people with hearing difficulties for the first time.
For the 2025 games, a record 3,081 athletes from 81 countries and regions were registered, including those from Russia and Belarus competing as neutral athletes and independent athletes who are refugees.
About 270 will compete under the Japanese flag, also a record high, in hopes of outdoing the previous 2022 Deaflympics medal count of 30.
Saturday’s ceremony, held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, was attended by Crown Prince Akishino and his family.
Athletes were greeted with “Awa Odori” traditional dance performance. Maki Yamada, who will compete in men’s athletics, was among those who delivered their athlete’s oath in sign language.
