India will host the World Para Athletics Championships for the first time when the 11th edition of the event takes place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium from September 27 to October 5. With more than 2,200 athletes and support staff from 104 nations competing across 186 medal events, it will be the country’s biggest-ever para sporting spectacle.
The championships promise fierce competition, dramatic finishes and standout performances. Over 100 medallists from the Paris Paralympics, who together won 308 medals (112 gold, 96 silver, 100 bronze), are confirmed to participate, ensuring an elite line-up on the global stage.
The competition programme has been expanded to 186 events, 15 more than the previous edition in Kobe, with 101 for men, 84 for women, and one mixed event.
Among the global stars set to compete is Germany’s Markus Rehm, the legendary “Blade Jumper,” a four-time Paralympic and seven-time world champion in the men’s long jump T64. His world record leap is longer than any Olympic gold medal-winning jump this century.
For the hosts, Sumit Antil, two-time Paralympic gold medallist and reigning world champion in the men’s javelin F64, will lead India’s charge. Fellow Paralympian Praveen Kumar, men’s high jump T64, is chasing his maiden WPAC gold on home soil, while India’s flagbearer Preeti Pal, who won two bronze medals in Paris 2024, is set for another strong campaign.
Other international headliners include Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland, who stunned the world with five golds and a silver in Paris and now targets five races in New Delhi; Brazil’s Petrucio Ferreira, the fastest Paralympian alive, seeking a fifth consecutive world title in the men’s 100m T47; and Australia’s Vanessa Low, long jump T63 gold medallist in Paris, returning to familiar territory at JLN Stadium.
The star-studded field also features Paralympic champions Safia Djelal, Jesse Zesseu, and Nassima Saifi, among others, ensuring unparalleled quality. Alongside the legends, the event will also spotlight a new generation of rising athletes determined to leave their mark.