Malta will proudly be represented at the upcoming Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics, with cyclist John Camilleri competing in two events, accompanied by Chef de Mission George Vella.

The 25th edition of the Summer Deaflympics will take place in Tokyo, Japan, from 15th to 26th November 2025. John, aged 28, will be taking part in the Time Trial on Thursday, 20th November, and the Mass Start on Saturday, 22nd November (both at 9am Japan time / 1am Malta time).

A biomedical engineer at Saint James Hospital, John has been racing competitively for the past eight seasons. At just three years old, he underwent cochlear implant surgery to help him communicate, and has since gone on to excel in cycling, earning multiple podium finishes locally and abroad. His biggest success to date came earlier this year, when he won bronze in the men’s team road race with Team Malta at the GSSE Andorra 2025.

The Deaflympics is an international multi-sport event for athletes with hearing impairments, featuring competitors with a hearing loss of at least 55 dB in their better ear. To ensure fair play, hearing aids and cochlear implants are not permitted during competition. Around 3,000 athletes from 80 countries will take part across seven sports.

This year’s Games mark the 100th anniversary of the Deaflympics, first held in Paris in 1924, and it will be the first time ever that Japan hosts the event. The competitions use visual signals such as lights and flags, along with International Sign Language as the official mode of communication.

Malta first took part in the Deaflympics in Rome 2001, and has since competed in Taipei 2009, Sofia 2013, and Samsun 2017. The country has also made its mark at European and International Deaf Championships, winning its first medal at the 1st Deaf European Marathon Championships in Lublin, Poland, where George Vella (now Chef de Mission) took home silver in May 2015.

Best of luck, John!