India announces record 111-member contingent for 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo

India will send its biggest-ever delegation to the Deaflympics, with a 111-member contingent confirmed for the 2025 edition scheduled in Tokyo from November 15 to December 26.

The team includes 73 athletes who will compete across 11 disciplines, marking a new milestone in the country’s participation at the prestigious global event.

The Indian athletes will feature in athletics, badminton, golf, judo, karate, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, wrestling, and tennis.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has approved the contingent on a cost-to-government basis, reflecting its growing commitment to supporting athletes with hearing impairments.

India builds on best-ever performance from 2022 edition in Brazil

India’s participation follows its most successful Deaflympics campaign in 2022, when the contingent returned from Brazil with a record 16 medals, eight gold, one silver, and seven bronze, finishing ninth among 77 participating nations. The upcoming Tokyo edition presents another opportunity for the athletes to build on that success and continue India’s upward trajectory in international deaf sports.

The Deaflympics are organised by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD), the global governing body recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Established in 1924, the ICSD functions independently and is not affiliated with the International Paralympic Committee.

As the second-oldest international multi-sporting event in the world after the Olympics, the Deaflympics hold a unique place in sporting history. With a record number of participants and broader representation across disciplines, India’s 2025 contingent embodies both progress and promise — underscoring the country’s growing depth of talent and institutional support for athletes with disabilities.