12th World Para Athletics Championship 2025 Kicks Off in New Delhi

The 12th World Para Athletics Championship 2025 began on September 27, 2025, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JLN), New Delhi. The nine-day mega event, running till October 5, 2025, brings together more than 1,000 para-athletes from over 100 countries. India is hosting the championship for the first time, with a strong contingent of 70+ athletes. This global event is a significant moment for India’s para sports, coming just after the successful Paris Paralympics 2024, where Indian athletes made history with their medal haul.

Competition Structure & Events

• Total medal events: 186
• Men’s events: 101
• Women’s events: 84
• Mixed events: 1

Events cover sprint races, middle & long-distance running, endurance events, field throws, and jumps.

The event will also serve as a qualifier platform for the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, making performances here especially crucial.

Key Indian Athletes to Watch

• Deepthi Jeevanji: Qualified for the Women’s 400m T20 medal round with her season’s best timing of 58.35 seconds.
• Sumit Antil: Javelin throw Paralympic gold medallist, aiming for a hat-trick of golds at World Para Championships.
• Dharambir Nain: Paris 2024 Paralympics gold medallist in club throw, India’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony.
• Preeti Pal: Double Paralympics bronze medallist sprinter, also serving as flag bearer.
• Praveen Kumar & Navdeep: Strong medal contenders in high jump and javelin events.

International Stars Participating

Some of the world’s best para-athletes are competing, including,

• Athanasios Ghavelas (Greece, sprint)
• Ezra Frech (USA, high jump & sprints)
• James Turner (Australia, middle distance runner)
• Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland, wheelchair racing)
• Fleur Jong (Netherlands, sprints & long jump)
• Magdalena Andruszkiewicz (Poland, throws)

Static GK Facts

• The World Para Athletics Championships are organized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
• Inaugural edition: 1994, in Berlin, Germany.
• The championship is held every two years.
• India is hosting the event for the first time in 2025.
• The 11th edition (2023) was held in Paris, France.
• Top performing nations traditionally include USA, China, Brazil, Great Britain, and Ukraine.