The 17th Fazza International Para Athletics Championships in Dubai 2026 are set to commence at the Dubai Club for People of Determination grounds. Running from February 10 to 13, the event will host 500 athletes from 56 nations striving to meet qualification standards for upcoming major competitions. India’s 50-member squad includes top Paralympic stars like Sumit Antil, Navdeep, Preeti Pal, and Simran.
Belgium’s Maxime Carabin, a two-time Paris 2024 Paralympic champion and five-time world champion, is among the notable European participants. Canada’s Austin Smeenk, a gold medallist in the men’s 800m T34 at Paris 2024, is another athlete to watch. The UAE team, comprising 65 athletes, includes Paralympic medallists like Mohammed Youssef Othman and Rio 2016 medallists Sara Aljeneibi, Noura Alktebi, and Maryam Alzeyoudi.
Ahead of the event, Othman expressed his readiness for the new season, targeting a strong performance at the home event and the upcoming Asian Para Games. Thani Juma Berregad, chairman of the Organising Committee, highlighted the championships’ history of setting high standards since 2009. Majid Al-Usaimi, director of the Fazza International Championships, emphasized the platform’s role in empowering People of Determination through sports.
The 2026 season will feature the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July, followed by the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games in October.
