India Shines Bright: Marks the beginning of a New Era at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships.
The 12th World Para Athletics Championships, held at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium from September 27 to October 5, 2025. This event really stands out as an important milestone, not only for para-sports across the world but specifically for India.
Hosting the championship for the first time, India didn’t merely deliver a well-organised event, but the athletes delivered their best-ever performance on the world stage, leaving behind a legacy that will be remembered for years to come.
More than 2,000 athletes from 104 countries competed across 186 medal events, making it one of the largest editions of the tournament in history. The atmosphere inside the JLN Stadium was energetic throughout the nine days, with home fans witnessing moments that encouraged them and others. Brazil topped the overall standings with 15 gold, 20 silver and 9 bronze medals with an overall tally of 44 medals, followed by China, Iran, and Great Britain. But all eyes were on the host nation, whose athletes turned expectations into reality.
India’s journey was topped by two golden moments that lit up the fourth evening of the competition. First came Nishad Kumar, who soared to gold in the men’s high jump T47 category with a best record of 2.14 metres, with an Asian record. Barely had the applause settled when sprinter Simran Sharma ran in 11.95 seconds in the women’s 100m T12 final, taking the gold and a personal best to her name. The stadium erupted again, and within a span of minutes, India had leapt from 11th to 4th place in the medal tally.
But the success story extended beyond those two wins. Shailesh Kumar secured another gold in the men’s high jump T63, while Sumit Antil reassured his dominance in the javelin F64 category for India. Sandip Sanjay Sargar and Rinku Hooda added their contribution to the gold count with commanding throws in the Javelin throw.
In total, India ended the championship with 22 medals, 6 gold, 9 silver, and 7 bronze, surpassing its previous record of 17 medals from Kobe, Japan in 2024. It was a performance that placed India 10th overall, ahead of several established para-sport nations.
The silver and bronze medals carried equal weight in defining India’s rise. Deepthi Jeevanji’s silver in the 400m T20, along with consistent podium finishes from others. It didn’t stop there, but the finishes from athletes like Ekta Bhyan, Dharambir, and Yogesh Kathuniya showcased the country’s growing depth across various disciplines and proved that India is not limited to anything. For many of these athletes, competing at home added both pressure and motivation at the same time. What stood out was the composure and professionalism with which they handled it.
Hosting such a massive global event was a test of India’s sports infrastructure and organisational capacity and capability, and it passed that test, but with certain areas yet to be improved. The Paralympic Committee of India, along with the Sports Authority of India, ensured that facilities, accessibility, and logistics matched international standards. More importantly, the event became a platform for awareness and appreciation of para-sports among Indian audiences, many of whom were witnessing world-class performances of this kind for the first time.
Beyond the numbers, the 2025 championship represented a shift in India’s perspectives on sport identities. The victories of the athletes weren’t just about medals; they were about possibility. They reminded us and the nation that excellence can emerge from perseverance, and that Indian athletes, regardless of physical challenges, can compete and accomplish at the highest level of sports. For young para-athletes watching from across the country, these are your chances to come out of the bubble and prove yourself.
India’s 22-medal haul was more than just a stat; it is the beginning of what’s to come in the next era of para-athletics.
