New Delhi, Nov 8 (NationPress) India has officially announced a 111-member contingent for the upcoming Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan, scheduled from November 15 to December 26. This marks the largest Indian delegation ever sent to the Deaflympics.

The Union Sports Ministry has sanctioned the contingent on a no-cost-to-government basis, with India participating in 11 disciplines including athletics, badminton, golf, judo, karate, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, wrestling, and tennis, as stated by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in a recent release.

The Deaflympics are organized by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD), which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and has been operating independently since August 1924. Notably, ICSD does not collaborate with the International Paralympic Committee. The Deaflympics, under IOC's patronage, are the second-oldest international multi-sport event globally.

Currently, the ICSD comprises affiliated national sports organizations from 117 countries. In a decision made on May 16, 2001, the IOC Executive Board officially renamed the World Games of the Deaf to the Deaflympics, resolving any discrepancies between the event's title and its status.

The inaugural Deaflympics, originally called the International Silent Games, took place in Paris during the summer of 1924, and have been held every four years since, albeit with interruptions during World War II.

From its inception in 1924 to today, the ICSD has successfully organized 24 Summer and 18 Winter Deaflympics, with events occurring a year after the Olympic Games. Additionally, every four years, the ICSD conducts World and Regional Championships across various sports. The recent 24th Summer Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, saw participation from over 2,400 athletes.

India has been a participant in the International Deaf Games since 1965, making its debut with seven male athletes and five officials in Washington. In 1985, three female athletes represented India for the first time. In the last Deaflympics of 2021 held in Caxias Do Sul, Brazil, India was represented by 39 male and 26 female athletes, achieving a historic medal tally of 16 medals – comprising eight gold, one silver, and seven bronze, securing the 9th position among 77 countries.

To date, India has amassed 26 gold medals, 9 silver, and 17 bronze medals. In the last Summer Games in Brazil, India sent 65 athletes to compete across 11 sports.

In the badminton category, Jerlin Jayaratchagan clinched three gold medals, while Dhanush Srikanth set a world record with a score of 247.5 in the 10m air rifle shooting event, winning two gold medals. In tennis, Prithvi Sekhar secured three medals, and in wrestling, Virender Singh achieved his fifth consecutive Deaflympics medal, a bronze. Tokyo Olympian golfer Diksha Dagar took home a silver medal.

India's previous record was set at Sofia in 1993, where they won a total of seven medals, including five gold and two bronze. They also achieved seven medals at Copenhagen in 1997 (3 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze) and Melbourne in 2005 (3 golds, 1 silver, 3 bronze).