India To Send 68-member Team For Asia-pacific Deaf Games

A 68-member Indian team will take part in the Asia-Pacific Deaf Games to be held in Kuala Lumpur from December 1 to 8.

The tournament is at par with the Asian Games for individuals with speech and hearing impairment and also serves as a precursor to the Deaflympics, which will be held in Japan next year.

The India will have representation in seven disciplines including athletics, badminton, chess, judo, table tennis, taekwondo and wrestling.

A send-off ceremony was organised for the touring party by the Sports Authority of India here at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium ahead of their departure on Friday.

National camps were organised by SAI in Sonepat for wrestling and in the national capital for badminton and judo from November 15 to 30.

The camps for chess, athletics and table tennis were held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, while the SAI regional centre in Lucknow conducted the taekwondo camp on the same dates.

India’s overall contingent is of 92 members including 24 coaches, support staff and officials and SAI has spent close to Rs 3 crore for travel, accommodation, training, equipment and team kits etc.

The Asia-Pacific Games were held last in 2015 at Taiwan where Indian athletes won three gold and two silver medals.

Among those who are expected to clinch medals include double Deaflympics gold medallist Abhinav Sharma, 2022 Deaflympics champion shuttler Jerlin Anika and Amit, who won the bronze in 86kg category wrestling.

Chess has been included in the program for the first time. Mallika Handa will lead the seven-member Indian team.