Deaflympics Participants Prepare for Competition Opening; Athletes Hold Final Practices, Pep Rallies

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:20 JST, November 11, 2025

Over 3,000 athletes are scheduled to compete in the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics, which will open on Saturday. With all events set to include Japanese participants, the teams and individual athletes are making final preparations for their big matches.

At a press conference held in Tokyo on Wednesday last week, the event’s organizers, including the Japanese Federation of the Deaf, announced that a total of 3,081 athletes — 2,014 men and 1,067 women from 80 countries and regions — have registered to participate in the event. Athletes from Russia, which is continuing its aggression in Ukraine, and its ally Belarus will participate as individuals, without any national affiliation, and will not compete in team events. All events will be free to watch except shooting, which will not be open to the public.

About 50,000 students from 440 Tokyo elementary, junior and senior high schools, as well as special needs schools, are scheduled to attend the Deaflympics. This event promises exciting competition in front of big crowds of spectators.

Double crown in 2022

The athletes who will represent Japan in the various events are now finalizing their preparations at training camps or attending pep rallies.

The karate team held an intensive training camp in Yamanashi Prefecture. On Nov. 1, Tokyo Olympics women’s karate silver medalist Kiyo Shimizu coached some of the athletes. “I want the athletes to enjoy their matches. I also want to go cheer them on at the venue,” Shimizu said.

Ryo Ogura, a teacher at Sakado Ro Gakuen school for the deaf, who won two gold medals in women’s kata and kumite at the previous 2022 Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, is aiming for back-to-back victories. She will also serve as the flag bearer for the Japanese delegation.

“People often encourage me on the streets, saying ‘good luck,’ and I’m feeling a little nervous. I’d like to give this event everything I’ve built up,” she said.

Aiming for gold

The Japanese men’s and women’s deaf soccer teams attended a pep rally in Tokyo on Thursday. The soccer matches will be held at J-Village in Fukushima Prefecture. The men’s team will face the British team in their opening match on Friday, ahead of the official opening of the Deaflympics. “Our goal is to win the gold medal. We want to show the world our strength,” said the team’s head coach Noboru Saito.

The deaf athletics team held its kick-off meeting in Tokyo on Monday last week and received uniforms from ASICS Corp. to wear during the competition.