Historic First: India To Host Para World Championships 2025
Para World Championships 2025: The Para Athletics World Championships 2025 will be held in New Delhi next year, marking the first time India is hosting the event. World Para Athletics (WPA) announced this on Thursday, December 19. The much-awaited Para sport event will take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium from September 26 to October 5, 2025.
India to Host Para Athletics World Championships for the First Time
The 2025 New Delhi event will be the 12th Para Athletics World Championships and the fourth time it is held in Asia, after Doha (2015), Dubai (2019), and Kobe (2024). World Para Athletics (WPA) also announced that New Delhi will host a Para Athletics Grand Prix for the first time next year.
This event is set for March 11 to 13 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and will give fans a chance to enjoy Para athletics before the World Championships.
World Para Athletics Head Paul Fitzgerald on the Significance of the Event
Paul Fitzgerald, Head of World Para Athletics, said: “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.”
“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.”
Speaking about the upcoming Para World Championships 2025, India’s paralympic body said in a statement:
“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 Shines at the 2024 Para World Championships
India showed great success at the 2024 Para World Championships held in Kobe, Japan. The team finished sixth in the medal tally, bringing home 17 medals—6 golds, 5 silvers, and 6 bronzes. This was India’s best performance ever at the World Para Athletics Championships.