Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–While the Tokyo Deaflympics in 2025 have helped boost public awareness of the sporting event, there remain issues that need to be tackled almost a year on. Yamaha Motor Foundation for Sports conducted a survey on the public recognition of the Deaflympics, an international sporting event for deaf athletes. According to the survey, 24.3 pct of respondents aged 20 and over said that they knew of the Tokyo Deaflympics, before the competition was held last November. The recognition rate rose to 55.4 pct in 2026. The rate of recognition among Tokyo residents after the event stood at 72.4 pct, jumping from 33.3 pct before the tournament. At a recent seminar in Tokyo for media organizations hosted by the foundation, Rina Komokata, who won gold in the women’s tennis doubles and bronze in the singles event at the Tokyo Deaflympics, said, “As the tournament approached, I felt there was an increase in people who knew about the event.” “There was a surprisingly large crowd of spectators,” she said, adding that the survey results “made sense.” While the event was significant for progress toward an inclusive society, the survey also highlighted issues remaining after the Tokyo Deaflympics. The proportion of respondents who felt that the bias against those with hearing loss had gone and that such people were a familiar presence in their daily lives fell to 40.8 pct from 45.7 pct before the tournament. The survey also showed a decline in the proportions of those who wanted to learn sign language and those who thought they could play sports with other people regardless of whether they had hearing difficulties. Tokyo’s hosting of the Deaflympics “was a positive thing in terms of boosting public interest,” University of Tsukuba professor Mayumi Saito said. “On the other hand, (the event) has not been enough to bring changes to (public) attitude,” she said, citing as a reason a lack of competitiveness in the Deaflympics. There may have been a gap between people’s high expectations for deaf sports and what they saw during the Deaflympics, Saito added. Meanwhile, Komokata highlighted a need for steady efforts to help develop deaf sports and enhance understanding for people with hearing loss. One of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the Australian Open has an event for deaf athletes. “Creating opportunities where those with disabilities could shine helps garner public interest,” Komokata said. “I hope that we’ll see more of such chances.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
