Table tennis at the Summer Deaflympics has appeared in the Deaflympiad program since 1957. Initially, there were 5 categories in the competition (men's and women's singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles), but from the third Deaflympic Games in Washington-1065, 2 more categories were added - women's and men's team.
Deaflympics Games - The Deaflympics (previously called World Games for the Deaf, and International Games for the Deaf) are an International Olympic Committee (IOC)-sanctioned event at which deaf athletes compete at an elite level. Unlike the athletes in other IOC-sanctioned events (the Olympics, the Paralympics, and the Special Olympics), the Deaflympians cannot be guided by sounds (e.g., the starter's guns, bullhorn commands or referee whistles). The games have been organized by the Comité International des Sports des Sourds (CISS, "The International Committee of Sports for the Deaf") since the first event in 1924.
To qualify for the games, athletes must have a hearing loss of at least 55 db in their "better ear". Hearing aids, cochlear implants and the like are not allowed to be used in competition, to place all athletes on the same level. Other examples of ways the games vary from hearing competitions are the manner in which they are officiated. To address the issue of Deaflympians not being able to be guided by sounds, certain sports use alternative methods of commencing the game. For example, the football referees wave a flag instead of blowing a whistle; on the track, races are started by using a light, instead of a starter pistol. It is also customary for spectators not to cheer or clap, but rather to wave – usually with both hands. In 1992, the Deaf Ukraine Sports Federation was established. That same year, she was admitted to the International Deaf Sports Committee with the right to participate in all international competitions held under his auspices. For the first time on the international stage, the national team made its debut at the 17th Deaf World Games in 1993, held in Sofia, where it won 8 awards (2 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze).