SAMSUN, 19 July (BelTA - Anadolu Agency) - The 23rd Summer Deaflympics began Tuesday with more than 3,000 athletes from 97 countries - the most ever number of participants in the event's history.
A performance by the Deaf Dance Academy was followed by a parade of the athletes who will compete in 21 categories, including athletics, basketball, football, swimming and wrestling, at 37 venues in eight districts in Samsun.
Turkey has 294 athletes participating in the games.
Approximately 1,500 volunteers, of which 250 are deaf, and 500 sign language translators will work at the event.
The first Deaflympics was organized in Paris by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) in in 1924.
The Deaflympics will run until July 30.
