A turning point: How domestic classification is transforming para sports in India
For para athletes, the road to competition does not begin on the track or field, but in a quiet room where a panel of experts decides which classification an athlete belongs to.
Until recently, India’s parathletes had little choice but to travel abroad for classification, shutting the door on many who could not afford it. That changed earlier this year when India hosted its first-ever World Para Athletics Grand Prix in New Delhi.
For the first time, dozens of Indian athletes were able to undergo classification at home — a shift that not only saves money and expands opportunity but could also reshape the country’s entire para sport system. “Hosting a Grand Prix in India was nothing short of a lifeline,” said Manish Rana, Director of Sports Development and Performance with the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).
Classification is the foundation that determines fairness and eligibility in every para sport. “It is the building unit of the entire Paralympic ecosystem,” Rana explained. “Just imagine an athlete training for two years, believing they belong in one category, only to discover they’re in another. Getting classification early helps them train with clarity.”
Why it matters
Classifying para athletes is not a simple tick-box exercise but an extensive process overseen by trained international experts. A two-member team can classify only eight or nine athletes in a day, which means slots are scarce. India often had to fight for space at overseas events, typically managing only a handful of slots. Thus many athletes missed their chance entirely.
The financial burden, too, was crushing. “A single trip abroad could cost Rs. 2.5-3 lakh for an athlete, with expenses doubling if an escort is required,” said Rana.
The Delhi Grand Prix, however, changed that equation overnight. India secured 61 classification slots out of 120 available — a scale unimaginable until then. “Beyond cost savings, this was about building a culture of access,” Rana said. “We even got the IPC to dedicate the first day entirely to Indian athletes.”
The event set the tone for the future, with India having already been awarded the rights to host three more Grand Prix events in the next three years. “If we consistently get 50-60 slots each year, we could classify 200 athletes domestically over the Paralympic cycle,” he said. “That’s a game-changer.”
Another crucial outcome of hosting the Grand Prix was the training and certification of a new cadre of National Technical Officers (NTOs), the backbone of para sport competitions.
NTOs ensure rules are followed, classifications are implemented correctly, and events are conducted smoothly. “If you don’t have technical officials, classifiers, competition managers — the whole ecosystem suffers. That’s why we invested in NTO training. Hosting events here means they all get to see how the system works first-hand,” said Rana.
For India, this represents a crucial shift away from dependence on outside expertise. “Earlier, we had to rely on foreign officials or wait for opportunities abroad. Now, we are creating a pool of our own.” The pool is now part of a larger ecosystem that is finally taking shape.
Building systems
While the Grand Prix has had a massive impact for athletes, its long-term value lies in creating a system that can sustain itself. With classifications now more accessible, athletes from smaller towns and rural regions can begin entering the system, steadily broadening the national talent base.
“Parathletes in all of Europe, including the UK, are fewer than the disabled population of just one Indian state. So, the potential is massive,” he said.
However, that kind of scale can only be tapped if opportunities reach beyond metros.
Domestic classification and trained officials can help open doors at the grassroot level. “It doesn’t make sense to have classifiers and officials concentrated only in big cities. We need to spread them across the country to give every promising athlete a chance,” Rana emphasised.
If the system continues to align — with more slots, stronger technical expertise, and wider grassroots access — India’s para sport ecosystem can enter a phase of self-reliance and sustained growth. For athletes, it will mean fewer barriers, clearer pathways, and the confidence to train knowing that the system will support them.
The upcoming World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, where India expects its largest-ever contingent (73 athletes) to compete, could prove to be a watershed moment.
But beyond the numbers, it signals permanence — that para sport in India is no longer dependent on others to take its first steps but beginning to chart its own future.
Classification categories
A classified athlete is given a number along with a prefix: a ‘T’, which stands for ‘track’, or an ‘F’ for ‘field’. The number also represents the level of impairment; the lower the number within each impairment type, the more severe the impairment. There are ten eligible impairment types, further divided into classes specific to each sport.
Running and jumping (16 classes)
T11-13 — Visual impairment
T20 — Intellectual impairment
T35-38 — Co-ordination impairments
T40-41 — Short stature
T42-44 — Lower limb affected by limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement
T45-47 — Upper limbs affected by limb deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement
Wheelchair racing (seven classes)
T32-34— Co-ordination impairments
T51-54— Limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement
Standing throws (15 classes)
F11-13— Visual impairment
F20— Intellectual impairment
F35-38— Co-ordination impairments
F40-41— Short stature
F42-44— Lower limb affected by limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement
F45-46— Upper limb/s affected by limb deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement
Seated throws (11 classes)
F31-34 — Coordination impairments
F51-57 — Limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement
Source: www.paralympic.org
Published on Sep 23, 2025