Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed immense pride in India hosting the World Para Athletics Championships 2025 in New Delhi. The tournament, which commenced on September 27, 2025, is being held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and will continue until October 5. This is the 12th edition of the World Para Athletics Championships and marks the largest Para sport event ever held in India.
PM Modi conveyed a warm welcome to all the athletes participating, emphasizing that the event celebrates human determination and spirit. He also expressed his hope that the tournament would inspire a more inclusive and vibrant sporting culture across the world. In a special message, PM Modi stated that hosting the World Para Athletics Championships 2025 reiterates India as a "sporting and inclusive" nation to the world. He added that para-athletes have played a vital role in strengthening India's identity as a rising sporting hub, motivating millions to embrace sports as a way of life by breaking barriers and setting new benchmarks.
The opening ceremony of the World Para Athletics Championships 2025 was held on September 25 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The event saw the participation of around 2,200 competitors from over 100 nations. India is the fourth Asian nation to host the World Para Athletics Championships, following Qatar (2015), UAE (2019), and Japan (2024). The event is organized by the Paralympics Committee of India.
The competition program includes 186 medal events, comprising 101 for men, 84 for women, and one mixed event, which is 15 more than the previous edition held in Kobe.
India's para-athletes are expected to perform exceptionally well on their home ground. In the Kobe edition of the World Para Athletics Championships in 2024, India delivered its best-ever performance, securing 17 medals, including six gold, five silver, and six bronze, finishing sixth overall. In the 2023 Paris championships, India had already broken its earlier record by winning 10 medals.
PM Modi lauded India's rising dominance in para sports, stating that the remarkable performances of para-athletes have redefined the meaning of resilience and determination, inspiring sportspersons and common people across the world.
The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium features a newly-laid Mondo track in shades of blue, the same track used at the Paris Paralympics 2024. The Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, inaugurated the track on August 29, which is celebrated as National Sports Day. Dr. Mandaviya also inaugurated a Mondo warm-up track and a multi-specialty gymnasium at the stadium complex where more than 200 athletes can train simultaneously.
