India is sending a record‑breaking 111‑person team to the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo. The athletes will travel on Friday, November 13, after a warm send‑off at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Secretary of Sports Hari Ranjan Rao unveiled the national kit and wished the contingent success.
The country’s flag will be carried by five‑time Deaflympic champion Jerlin Jayaratchagan. Jerlin, who grew up in Madurai and first competed in the Games at age 13, captured three gold medals in badminton at the 2021 event (held in 2022 in Brazil). She earned the nations’ first Arjuna Award for a deaf athlete in 2022. “Being chosen as flag‑bearer feels special,” she said. “It represents all the hard work and the hopes of my teammates.”
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya told the athletes, “India’s progress with special athletes is something to be proud of. Our biggest squad ever shows how far we’ve come, and we expect our medal count to rise again.” He added that the focus is “on competing with the best and giving your 100%,” not just on the number of medals.
India will compete in 11 sports: athletics, badminton, golf, judo, karate, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, wrestling, and tennis. The Games, organised by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) under the Olympic Council’s patronage, are the world’s second‑oldest multi‑sport event.
Winger Dhanush Srikanth, Hyderabad’s top rifle shooter, is a favourite to add to India’s medal tally. “I’m happy to represent India again,” he said. “Last time I won two gold medals. I hope to repeat that success here.”
India finished ninth in the 2021 Deaflympics in Brazil, winning 16 medals – eight gold, one silver and seven bronze – in a 65‑athlete squad. The new team aims to improve that ranking and showcase the talent of India’s deaf athletes on the global stage.
The All India Sports Council for the Deaf highlighted the nation’s long history in deaf sports, celebrating 100 years of global deaf athletic achievement and India’s own milestones since 1963. The Tokyo Games are the 25th edition of the Deaflympics, and India is ready to raise its flag high, compete fiercely, and bring home more medals.
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