For the first time, India will host the Para Athletics World Championship in 2025. This prestigious event will take place from September 26 to October 5 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. It will be the fourth time this event is hosted in Asia, with previous editions held in Doha (2015), Dubai (2019), and Kobe (2024). The World Para Athletics (WPA) officially announced this significant news on December 19.
The WPA also revealed that New Delhi will host the World Para Athletics Grand Prix for the first time in March 2024. Scheduled from March 11 to 13 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, this event will offer an early opportunity to experience the thrill of para athletics.
Paul Fitzgerald, head of WPA, stated that the 2025 championship will be the largest international para-sport competition ever held in India. He called it a significant opportunity to transform societal perceptions of persons with disabilities and enhance awareness about Paralympic sports. He also highlighted India’s remarkable progress in para athletics over the past decade. From winning two silver medals at the 2015 World Championships in Doha to achieving six golds among 17 total medals at the 2023 championships in Kobe, India’s performance has been commendable.
The Indian National Paralympic Committee (NPC India) described this as a crucial step towards India becoming a global sports powerhouse. NPC India noted that the event would strengthen India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games while accelerating the Paralympic movement within the country and expanding opportunities for persons with disabilities.
The 2025 World Championship will be a historic opportunity to promote inclusivity and empower para-athletes in India. This event aligns with the vision of a “New India” as emphasized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Compared to previous editions, this championship holds immense importance for India. At the last edition held in May 2023 in Kobe, Japan, over 1,000 athletes from more than 100 countries participated. India secured a spot in the top six for the first time, while China topped the medal tally with 87 medals, including 33 golds. The 2025 championship will further solidify India’s emerging image as a global sports powerhouse.
