Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday felicitated India’s medal-winning contingent from the recently-concluded World Para Athletics Championships, praising their extraordinary spirit, determination and record-breaking achievements.
India recorded its best-ever performance at the World Para Athletics Championships, finishing 10th in the overall standings with a total of 22 medals (6 Gold, 9 Silver, and 7 Bronze). The Sports Ministry awarded cash prizes exceeding Rs 1.09 crore to the para athletes in recognition of their feats.
“You are not para athletes, but power athletes of Bharat. The pride you brought to the nation after the medal wins and the inspiring message you have given to divyang people in particular is noteworthy. The passion you have shown is tremendous,” Mandaviya said during the felicitation.
He further lauded the athletes’ resilience, saying, “The vision and spirit of New India which is shown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is upheld in the best way. The Prime Minister was watching your matches on TV and he used to keep asking about you all during our meetings.”
The felicitation followed what has been described internationally as India’s most successful hosting of a global para-sport event. The World Para Athletics Championships, held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, was the largest para-sport event ever organised in India, featuring over 2,100 participants from 100 countries competing across 186 medal events.
Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) president Devendra Jhajharia also praised the collaborative efforts that made the event a success.
“The Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India (SAI) have helped us as a family. The WPA gave us a trophy on the final day of the event for hosting this event successfully. They said they will be happy to have India host more such events in the country, going forward.”
Jhajharia added, “Both the IPC president Andrew Parsons and World Para Athletics President Paul Fritzerald said that the level of facilities provided to athletes and the technical conduct of the Games, were both of the highest level. This kind of praise from international associations was made possible because of the combined strength of PCI, SAI and the ministry. Today, the Minister handing over of the cash awards to athletes within seven days of the competition, is another showcase of his remarkable efforts to improve sports.”
Athletes were unanimous in their praise of the MONDO track at the JLN Stadium, which played a key role in their performances.
“All of us were very happy about the MONDO track, which was present in both the warm up area and the competition area. Besides that, the hotels, transportation that were provided was also very good. The local volunteers as well as SAI and PCI also helped us a lot,” said Sumit Antil.
Sailesh Kumar, who won India’s first gold at WPAC 2025, said, “It was such a big event in India. I was nervous on the first day but the preparations were good. The track and home support were very favourable. Besides the MONDO track, the nearby gym and fitness centre also proved useful.”
Double medalist Preeti Pal appreciated the medical facilities at the venue. “The medical room helped us sprinters a lot in between our races for recovery. The ice bath in particular proved really beneficial,” she said.
Highlighting the athletes’ mental strength, Mandaviya thanked them for turning “disability into determination.”
“This is a new definition of courage that will keep inspiring the future generations. The entire nation is proud of your achievements. You have not only won medals, but you have also won our hearts. You have shown that when intent is strong, wheelchairs can also become wings,” he said.