New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS) The World Para Athletics Championships, scheduled from September 27 to October 5 at the iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, is set to be a historic sporting spectacle. More than 2,200 athletes and support staff from 104 countries will compete across 186 medal events, making it India’s biggest-ever para sporting event.
The championships promise thrilling drama, fierce rivalries, and unforgettable performances as over 100 medallists altogether who won 308 medals in Paris Paralympics – including 112 gold, 96 silver and 100 bronze medallists – return to test their mettle on the grandest para athletics stage.
This edition marks the first time India hosts this prestigious event and includes an expanded competition programme with 186 medal events – 15 more than the last edition in Kobe, featuring 101 events for men, 84 for women and one mixed event.
Leading the charge is Germany’s Markus Rehm, the four-time Paralympic champion and seven-time world champion in the men’s long jump T64. Known as the Blade Jumper, Rehm holds a world record that surpasses every Olympic gold medal jump of this century.
India’s pride, Sumit Antil, two-time Paralympic gold medallist and defending WPAC champion in Men’s Javelin F64, is set to dazzle the home crowd once again.
Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland, who made headlines with five golds and a silver across six events at Paris, will compete in five races in New Delhi, aiming to replicate her monumental success.
Paralympian Praveen Kumar, Men’s High Jumper T64, is eager to complete his medal collection with a World Para Athletics Championships gold on home soil.
Other stars include Brazil’s Petrucio Ferreira, the fastest Paralympian on the planet, who will be chasing his fifth consecutive world title in the men’s 100m T47, and India’s flag bearer Preeti Pal, who clinched two bronze medals at Paris 2024 and competed strongly in Kobe.
Australia’s Vanessa Low, gold medallist in Long Jump T63 at Paris, will be back on the familiar grounds of JLN stadium, continuing to lead an elite field of competitors.
Additional Olympic medallists such as Safia Djelal, Jesse Zesseu and Nassima Saifi will add further star power.
Beyond the established stars, the Championships will showcase emerging talent eager to announce their arrival, making it a truly unmissable event for sports fans worldwide.
–IANS
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