The 23rd Summer Deaflympics gets closer as the Deaflympics Torch Relay started!

Lausanne, Switzerland - 03 July 2017. The  Torch of the 23rd Summer Deaflympics passed through Lausanne on the way to Turkey. The flame was lit in a very special ceremony at Maison du Sport International, where ICSD headquarters are. 

Torch Relay started in Paris, the birthplace of the Deaflympics. The first Games, held in Paris in 1924, were also the first ever international sporting event for athletes for the Deaf. The Games began as a small gathering of 148 athletes from 9 European nations competing in the International Silent Games in Paris, France; now, they have grown into a global sport movement.

The ceremony of Torch Relay took place at the Maison du Sport International (MSI) participated by ICSD President Dr Valery Rukhledev, General Coordinator of 2017 Deaflympics Serkan Baltaci and the President of the Turkish Deaf Sports Federation Yakup Kihtir. The main symbol was warmly welcomed by residents of Lausanne, Switzerland Deaf Sports Federation, International Olympic Committee (IOC) representatives and others.

The torch will travel through the main cities of Turkey before reaching the opening ceremony of 23rd Summer Deaflympics in the Samsun on 18 July.

Samsun 2017 will be the fourth summer destination that will host the Deaflympics torch. Melbourne 2005, Taipei 2009 and Sofia 2013 were the previous destinations for the Deaflympics torch. 

23rd Deaflympics will involve more than 5000 athletes from 96 countries, a total of 42 sports venues will be used.