The hum inside the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium is set to be unlike that of any other sporting event this afternoon. Thousands of fans will wave hands and signs as athletes from around the world take their seats for the opening ceremony of the Deaflympics.
For nearly two weeks starting Nov. 15, about 3,000 deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes from more than 70 countries and regions will compete in Tokyo, as well as some venues in Fukushima and Shizuoka prefectures. They’ll be joined by coaches, officials and tens of thousands of spectators, with millions more expected to tune in online to watch basketball, swimming, golf, Greco-Roman wrestling and other events.
It is the first time Tokyo has hosted the games, which this year mark both the 25th edition of the Summer Deaflympics and the event’s 100th anniversary — making it the second-oldest multisport festival in the world. The organizing committee hope the milestone will push Deaf sports further into the global spotlight, and that the city, still carrying lessons from the 2021 Paralympics, will continue to evolve into a more inclusive metropolis.
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