World Para Athletics Championships a sign of India’s preparations to host CWG 2030 and Olympics 2036

When the World Para Athletics Championships (WPAC) kick off at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday morning, it will become the first big-ticket athletics event in the city since the much-maligned 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The revamped and upgraded venue with international-standard tracks and spectator-friendly facilities is not just a leg-up to para sports in the country.

It signifies the central government’s efforts to bring bigger events home, including the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympics, and prove that it can pull off competitions of this magnitude.

For a country where physical and intellectual disability continues to be misunderstood and looked down upon, hosting the WPAC is a big step towards inclusivity while continuing India’s growing graph in para athletics.

Artists performing during the opening ceremony of World Para Athletics Championships 2025, at Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit:
Shiv Kumar Pushpakar/The Hindu

With around 1700 athletes from 104 countries participating in 184 events spread over nine days – 101 men, 83 women and one mixed – WPAC 2025 will be the biggest ever edition of the tournament.

From two medals at the 2015 International Paralympic Committee Athletic Championships – the precursor to WPAC – to 17 in 2024, and from a single silver at the 2012 Paralympics to 17 of the 29 medals won in Paris last year, India’s para athletes have been racking up impressive performances over the last decade.

One of the brightest examples has been Sumit Antil, arguably the second-biggest name in Indian javelin throw behind Neeraj Chopra and with an achievement list as impressive.

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The two-time reigning world and Olympic champion in the F64 category with a world record (73.29m) to boot, Antil will be the biggest draw at the nine-day event, hoping to cross the elusive 75m barrier at home.

Also hoping to add to his Paralympics gold and improve on his bronze from the last edition will be Navdeep Singh in the javelin F41, while veterans Dharambir Nain (club throw F51), Ravi Rongali (shot put F40), and Varun Bhati (high jump T63) would be looking to prove they were still competitive enough.

Among the women, Preethi Pal (100m/200m T35), the only Indian athlete to win multiple medals at the Paris Paralympics and Simran Sharma (100m/200m T12) will be the favourites on the track.

One of the brightest examples among India’s para athletes has been Sumit Antil, arguably the second-biggest name in Indian javelin throw behind Neeraj Chopra and with an achievement list as impressive.
| Photo Credit:
Shiv Kumar Pushpakar/The Hindu

Deepthi Jeevanji, the 400m bronze medallist at the Paris Paralympics — in the T20 category — is the only Indian representative among athletes with intellectual impairment.

Among the prominent foreign names confirmed are Greece’s world-record holder Athanasios Ghavelas (100m T11) among visually-impaired athletes, Germany’s Markus Rehm (long jump T64), the Blade Jumper with nine world titles, Petrucio Ferreira of Brazil (100m T47), the fastest para athlete in the world and USA’s 20-year old Ezra Frech (high jump/long jump T63).

China’s Xiaoyan Wen (100m/400m/long jump T37) and Swiss Catherine Debrunner (100m T53), a legend of wheelchair racing, both on track and road marathons, are among the prominent women athletes.

Published on Sep 26, 2025