This is the first time India will host para athletics’ biggest sporting event. (File)
New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium has been finalised as the venue for the 2025 Para Worlds slated for 26 September to 5 October 2025. This is the first time India will host para athletics’ biggest sporting event. The development was announced by the World Paralympic Association (WPA) on their official website on Thursday.
The 2025 event is the 12th edition of the championships and the fourth time it is hosted in Asia, following Doha 2015, Dubai 2019 and Kobe 2024. As per WPA, the capital will also host a World Para Athletics Grand Prix from 11 to 13 March at the same venue in 2025. The Grand Prix event will serve as a trial event before the big competition scheduled for October.
“We are delighted to announce that the first major championships of the new Paralympic cycle towards Los Angeles 2028 will be hosted in New Delhi. The 2025 Para Athletics World Championships will be the largest international Para sport event ever to take place in India, representing a massive opportunity to grow our sport, our fan base, and to impact society’s perception of persons with disabilities in the world’s most populous nation,” Paul Fitzgerald, Head of World Para Athletics said.
“India is one of the best examples of the growth and development of Para athletics in the last decade. From winning two silver medals at the Doha 2015 World Championships to securing 17 medals – including six gold – at this year’s Worlds in Kobe, the progress is evident. This success reflects the work of the National Paralympic Committee of India and the investment being made in sports, particularly Para athletics, in the country. We have witnessed the impact major events can have and the legacy they can leave to make Para sports more visible and accessible to everyone. We believe this can happen in New Delhi, and we look forward to welcoming the world’s best athletes to India next year,” he added.
“NPC India is privileged to host the Para Athletics World Championships for the first time in India. This historic event marks a significant milestone in India’s journey to becoming a global sporting powerhouse and strengthens our bid to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” India’s paralympic body said in a statement.
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