The 25th Summer Deaflympics, an international competition held since 1924 under the auspices of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD), concluded in Fukushima.
The 2025 Summer Deaflympics in Football, held in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, from November 15 to 26, 2025, marked the 100th anniversary of the Deaflympics, which were first held in 1924. This was Japan’s first time hosting the Summer Deaflympics.
The Japan Federation of the Deaf developed a draft plan for the sporting events, primarily in Tokyo. Komazawa Olympic Park Stadium in Tokyo, as well as stadiums in Shizuoka and Fukushima Prefectures, were considered as additional venues.
The opening and closing ceremonies for football were held at
J-VILLAGE Sports Stadium.
The 2025 Deaflympics kicked off in Fukushima, where all football teams competed for the podium.
The Deaflympic Football Games were a success: both the men’s and women’s teams demonstrated high motivation in their quest for medals.
The Turkish men’s team won, defeating Japan 2-1. Both teams were determined to win, but the Turkish team has extensive experience and created several dangerous moments near the Japanese goal. The Japanese team dominated until the end of the match but were unable to equalize.
Meanwhile, the US women’s team, a frequent participant in the Games, convincingly defeated Japan 4-0.
The Japan Deaf Football Association (JDFA) has launched a crowdfunding campaign to livestream all football matches of the Deaflympic Games in Tokyo and Fukushima.
The football matches began on Friday at J-VILLAGE Stadium in Naraha, Fukushima Prefecture. The final match was broadcast from multiple camera angles, with commentary and sign language interpretation. Having exceeded the established limit, the association expanded the broadcast to include several venues, allowing spectators to better experience the atmosphere of the matches, including the players’ facial expressions and gestures.
On behalf of the DIFA Executive Committee, we thank Brice ALLAIN, Sport Director of Football for the International Council of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD), and his wonderful team of DIFA delegates; the organizing committee, headed by Nakadori Yo; the refereeing team, headed by Niroshi Yamauchi; the volunteers; and, of course, the long-time director of the football federation, Koji Takahashi.
Thank you all; the history of deaf football will forever be remembered.
Thank you, Japan!
This video was provided by me, although I am not an expert in video editing.
