Deaflympics: Turn Cheering for Athletes into Driving Force for Inclusive Society

Editorial

14:40 JST, November 14, 2025

Athletes who are deaf or hard of hearing are to engage in fierce competition. The hope is that spectators at the venues will send hearty cheers to them and use this opportunity to deepen their understanding of those who are hard of hearing.

The Tokyo Deaflympics, an international sports competition for athletes who are hard of hearing, will open on Nov. 15. About 3,000 athletes from 80 countries and regions worldwide are expected to participate in 21 sports.

The first Deaflympics were held in Paris in 1924, giving it a longer history than the Paralympics.

While Paralympic athletes can use assistive devices such as wheelchairs or prosthetic limbs, Deaflympic athletes compete without hearing aids or assistive devices for cochlear implants. Due to this difference and other factors, the two events are held separately.

This is the first time Japan has hosted the Deaflympics. The Japanese delegation has set a goal of winning over 31 medals, surpassing their previous Games tally. Hosting the event at home, where strong support is anticipated, will likely be a significant boost for the Japanese athletes. It is hoped that people will visit the venues and cheer them on to achieve their goals.

Medal hopefuls include sprinter Takuma Sasaki, who won gold in the men’s 100 meters at the last Games, and Ryutaro Ibara, who will compete in multiple swimming events. The men’s soccer team also aims to advance to the top ranks.

This will be the first time Japanese athletes compete in all 21 sports at the Games. As some Deaflympic sports have no governing body due to not being widely adopted in Japan, the Tokyo metropolitan government held tryouts to recruit athletes for four sports, including wrestling.

Going forward, it is hoped that a system will be established for the widespread promotion of all sports.

For this event, the Tokyo metropolitan government and other entities have devised “Cheer Signs,” a method of using gestures to cheer for athletes from spectators’ seats.

For example, fluttering both hands beside the face and then thrusting them forward conveys the message “Go!” As an intangible legacy, the hope is that this method will be used continuously going forward.

In team sports such as soccer and basketball, exchanging information through eye contact and hand signals is crucial for coordinating play. Learning these characteristics should help deepen understanding of hearing issues themselves.

Hearing issues are not discernible to the eye, but there are many situations in daily life in which assistance is needed — such as not being able to hear announcements at stations or airports.

Even without knowing sign language, smartphones can convert one’s voice into text to communicate with deaf people. First and foremost, the willingness of both sides to actively try to communicate with each other must serve as the driving force for building an inclusive society.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 14, 2025)