Yet despite the wins, the global sports pages remain strangely quiet. The athletes are in motion. The record boards are ticking. The cameras? Still mostly pointing elsewhere.
If the Deaflympic movement has one job, it was to show the world they matter. Right now, they’re doing the work. The question: will the world show up?
Bravo to the organising Committee for livestreaming, here’s the highlights for 19th November
Today brought real competition into full view. The newswire from 2025 Summer Deaflympics pegged athletics finals at Tokyo — women’s 100 m victory for the Netherlands, and Japan’s Sasaki Takuma reacting after the men’s 100 m final.
But despite the spectacle, the global sensors of sports media largely stayed quiet. With medals decided, the takeaway feels familiar: the athletes are making headlines, but the headlines aren’t making the athletes.
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That’s frustrating! Let’s check the sharing settings for your posts. When you edit one of your recent posts, look for the Jetpack social sharing panel on the right side – does it show Facebook as enabled for that specific post? Also, are you publishing to a Facebook Page or trying to share to a personal Facebook profile? WordPress.com can only share to Pages, not personal profiles.
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A gold medal landed yesterday. It should have lit up the sports world. Instead, it flickered in the margins.
Indian shooter Dhanush Srikanth claimed gold in the men’s 10 m air rifle at the Tokyo Deaflympics and broke a world record in the process. (The Times of India) Yet the global headlines barely moved.
Dhanush Srikanth won gold and broke a world record in the Men’s shooting
In Japan, a local Japanese-language outlet ran a tech/inclusion piece on the Games and the host city’s accessibility strategy — accessible to those digging through Japanese livestreams, but easy for global sports desks to ignore.
And in Latin America, a Spanish-language website celebrated the arrival of the Games with local athletes boarding flights, yet still no major live result coverage.
The UK media ran a strong piece on the funding gap facing Deaflympians, reminding the world that while medals are won recognition is still waiting.
The athletes are winning. The stories are there. But the broadcast and mainstream media radar? Still silent.
The question stands: when record-breaking performances happen, will they get the spotlight they deserve — or will they remain hidden in niche feeds?
A week in, and here’s the truth: the athletes are competing; the headlines aren’t.
Across five days of the 2025 Summer Deaflympics in Tokyo, we’ve watched proud squads, historic centenary stories, and digital streaming hints – but seen almost no major network spotlight.
Opening Ceremony – 15th November 2025
Teams from India and South Africa told their stories. Japan, as host city, backed sign language, tech and Deaf culture. Local newspapers, specialist media and regional outlets lit up. But the big broadcasters? They’re still warming up. They’re running features, not live sport. They’re watching from the sidelines, not in the arena.
That’s the gap we’re here to call out. It’s not about counting page-views or “good news pieces.” It’s about whether Deaf sport gets equal airtime. It isn’t yet.
So as we head into the heart of the Games next week, we’ll ask: If an athlete breaks a record, will the world know? If a team wins gold, will their country’s screens show them? If a young Deaf athlete makes her debut — will it matter to the sports narrative?
If the answers keep being “no,” then our job, our spotlight, our voice matters more than ever.
The Games are underway — but you’d hardly know it from the world’s sports desks.
Today should have been the moment the headlines shifted from warm-up stories to actual competition: goals scored, medals won, shocks, heroics, heartbreak. Instead? Silence. And not the Deaf kind. The media kind.
Yes, the results exist. They’re sitting quietly on the official Tokyo 2025 website. They’re in federation match reports — like the USA Deaf Women smashing Japan 5–0, or the Ukrainian men putting five past the US team. They’re hidden in Japanese corporate updates and athlete sponsor pages. The wrestling brackets are fully up. The schedules are live. The data is there.
Japan Today reported on members of the imperial family in attendance at the Opening Ceremony. (Image: POOL via ZUMA press Wire)
But where are the stories?
Where is the mainstream “Day 1 at the Deaflympics”? Where is the BBC Sport medal table ticker? Where is the ESPN highlight reel? Where is even one big newsroom saying “Here’s what happened today”?
This is the pattern we’re exposing: if a Deaf athlete wins, you have to dig through official PDFs and federation pages to find out. The world’s sports media aren’t telling the story. Not yet. Media access information
And that’s exactly why we’re watching. Exactly why we’re documenting this gap. Exactly why we’re doing this work.
Because the athletes are competing. The results are happening. The moments are real. The coverage should be too.
Real sport with real results, ignored by real newsrooms.
The Deaflympics are here — and the world is making noise in short, unexpected bursts.
Every day at 0900 JST we will make a round up of the previous days media coverage.
Day 0 gave us warm send-offs, big squads and small victories in visibility. Olympics.com lit the match with a 111-strong team and one of the best flagbearer stories you’ll read this year. South Africa rolled out its Deaflympic history like a flex. Japan finally joined the conversation, proudly talking Deaf culture, sign language and tech that lets you see sound. Taiwan kept it sweet and simple with one perfect airport selfie.
Day 1 hit a different gear. The Japan Times stepped up with a thoughtful, detailed feature that actually treated Deaf athletes like elite competitors, not curiosities. The World spotlighted the Deaflympics turning 100 — a message so obvious you wonder why broadcasters keep ignoring it. And then, at last, a shift: Yahoo Sports published a “how to watch” guide for free live streams. Not a TV revolution, but it’s a start.
Illustration featured in Japan Times
Across two days, one thing is crystal clear: The written coverage is showing up. The broadcasters? Still stretching in the warm-up area.
But the athletes are already on the track. And they’re not waiting.
Combined takeaway
Two days in, the Deaflympics are shining loudest in written media. The athletes are visible. The culture is visible. Sign language is visible. The broadcasters, though? Still playing hide-and-seek.
But the flame is lit — and the story is beginning to grow, we have read that NHK will broadcast the Opening and Closing ceremonies live, so we will report on that claim tomorrow.
Previous Mainstream Media Coverage This Week
In a brief yet significant segment, BBC Breakfast showcased members of the UK Deaflympics team ahead of their departure to Tokyo, highlighting the athletes’ rigorous preparation and the historic nature of this year’s Games. The piece emphasised the pride of representing Deaf sport on the world stage and touched on the broader issues of visibility and recognition for Deaf athletes — though the focus remained largely on inspirational narrative rather than deeper media-rights or coverage-strategy questions.
And an earlier but still recent piece from the UK parliament’s Culture, Media & Sport Committee outlining that MPs have written to broadcasters over the absence of planned coverage for the Deaflympics.
You Can Help!
Do you know of any other mainstream media coverage of the Deaflympics 2025 – send us a link with the reply button
Terence Parkin Comes Out of Retirement to Return to the Deaflympics Pool
In one of the most exciting announcements of this year’s Deaf sporting calendar, legendary South African swimmer Terence Parkin has officially come out of retirement — and he’s heading back to the Games.
Photo from South African Deaf Sports federation facebook
For many in the Deaf community, Parkin is more than an athlete. He’s a symbol of excellence, resilience, and the power of Deaf representation on the world stage. With over 400 international medals, including his iconic silver at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and countless Deaflympics records, Parkin has long been regarded as one of the greatest Deaf athletes of all time.
Now, after stepping away from competitive swimming, he’s returning to the international arena once again — and the excitement is already building.
A Champion’s Legacy
Parkin has dominated Deaflympics history:
Multiple-time Deaflympics gold medallist
Holder of long-standing Deaflympics records
A role model for generations of young Deaf swimmers
His comeback sends a powerful message: Deaf excellence doesn’t fade — it evolves.
Why This Matters
Parkin’s return is not just about competition. It’s about visibility. It’s about continuing to push boundaries for what Deaf athletes can achieve — and inspiring a new wave of swimmers who look up to him as proof of what is possible.
In an era where #FairPlayForDeafAthletes is gaining momentum around the world, having one of the most decorated Deaf athletes step back onto the stage adds incredible energy to the movement.
Looking Ahead to the Games
Whether he’s chasing new times or simply soaking up the atmosphere of international competition once more, Parkin’s presence will elevate the Games — for athletes, supporters, and the global Deaf community alike.
Tokyo 2025 – Ukraine Dominate Both Men’s and Women’s Sprint Orienteering
What an explosive start to the Deaflympics in Tokyo — not just in the men’s race, but across the women’s field too. Orienteering opened the Games with back-to-back masterclasses from Team Ukraine, who didn’t just impress… they owned the podiums.
Ukraine stormed the first event of the Games with a perfect 1–2–3 finish.
Gold: Nazar Levytskyi – 12:57
Silver: Dmytro Levin – 13:54
Bronze: Volodymyr Fedoseienko – 14:00
It was a commanding performance, setting the tone for Ukraine’s campaign.
Then the women stepped up — and delivered something just as breathtaking.
Ukraine didn’t just win. They swept the entire podium again.
Gold: Anna Vanasaun – 11:57
Silver: Hanna Fedosieieva – 12:16
Bronze: Hanna Androsovych – 12:40
All three were sharp, fast, and utterly fearless on the Tokyo course. Finland’s Sara-Elise Ruokonen and Lithuania’s Adrija Atgalaine chased hard, but Ukraine’s trio were simply untouchable.
Two events. Two podium sweeps. Six medals — all Ukrainian.
If today is any indication, Ukraine’s orienteering squad is here not just to compete, but to set the pace for the entire Deaflympics.
Tokyo 2025 has only just begun, and already the storylines are electric. More results, more drama, and more phenomenal athletic performances are on the way.
Two Big Ears 