22 Medals and Countless Stories of Courage
India’s Para-Athletes Shine at 2025 World Championships
New Delhi: The cheers may have quieted at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, but the impact of the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, held from September 27 to October 5, still resonates. For nine days, India’s para-athletes competed with heart and grit, writing a powerful chapter in the nation’s sporting story. This wasn’t just about medals—it was about courage, perseverance, and the kind of spirit that inspires. As the highest-level global competition for para-athletes outside the Paralympic Games, the Championships featured track and field disciplines for athletes with various classifications based on disability type, including visual, physical, and intellectual impairments. Since its inception in 1994, the event has largely followed a biennial schedule, though disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the 2021 edition to 2022, have occasionally altered its rhythm.
India sent its largest-ever team—73 athletes—to the global stage and returned with a record-breaking 22 medals: 6 gold, 9 silver, and 7 bronze. That haul earned them 10th place overall, surpassing their previous best of 17 medals in Kobe, Japan, in 2024. Over 2,000 athletes from 104 countries competed in fierce track and field events, with Brazil leading the medal table at 44 and China topping the gold count with 13. India’s performance stood tall in such tough company.
The real heart of this triumph lies in the athletes’ stories—each one a testament to turning pain into power and obstacles into opportunities.
Take Nishad Kumar, who won gold in the men’s high jump T47 with a 2.14-meter leap, breaking the Asian record. At six, a farm accident took his right hand, but not his drive. Training on rough fields, falling and rising again, Nishad’s jump was a moment of pure determination.
Simran Sharma, born visually impaired, sprinted to gold in the women’s 100m T12 and took silver in the 200m T12. She trained by counting steps, guided by her coach’s voice to perfect her stride. Every race showed that what you can’t see doesn’t limit what you can achieve.
Sumit Antil kept his winning streak alive, claiming gold in the men’s F64 javelin throw with a 71.37-meter toss—his third straight World Championships title. A Paralympic champion, Sumit’s success came from early mornings, fine-tuned technique, and unshakable focus.
Shailesh Kumar’s gold in the men’s high jump T63, clearing 1.91 meters, was just as moving. Born with a congenital limb deficiency in a small Bihar village, he overcame scarce resources and scepticism to reach the global stage.
The field events shone brightly, too. Sandip Sanjay Sargar won gold in the men’s javelin F44, making the most of modest training setups. Rinku Hooda matched him in the men’s javelin F46, turning years of repetitive drills into a perfect throw. Every toss and leap carried years of sweat and heart.
Silver and bronze medals added depth to India’s success. Deepthi Jeevanji earned silver in the women’s 400m T20, building on her 2024 Paralympic bronze. Ekta Bhyan took silver in the women’s club throw F51, her third straight world medal. Navdeep Singh, Preeti Pal, Atul Kaushik, and Mariyappan Thangavelu brought home more silvers and bronzes, showing India’s strength across sprints, throws, and jumps.
This year’s Championships returned to their every-other-year schedule after 2024’s quick turnaround as a Paralympics qualifier. The competition was as tough as ever, with the world’s best pushing the boundaries of para athletics.
India’s journey in the World Para Athletics Championships has grown steadily since the event’s debut in 1994 in Berlin. Early on, India’s participation was modest, with small teams and few medals, often eclipsed by powerhouses like China and the USA. The 2006 Assen edition marked a turning point with a handful of medals. The 2010s saw stars like Devendra Jhajharia and Mariyappan Thangavelu emerge, and by 2019 in Dubai, India claimed 9 medals, including 2 golds. The 2022 Lyon edition (delayed from 2021 due to COVID-19) and 2023 Paris saw steady gains, with 10 medals, followed by 17 in Kobe 2024. Hosting the 2025 event for the first time, India not only proved its organisational mettle but also showcased its athletes’ ability to thrive under pressure, culminating in a historic 22-medal haul.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called the performance “historic,” saying the athletes’ fire and spirit will inspire generations. But it’s their stories that hit hardest: Nishad’s grit, Simran’s precision, Shailesh’s defiance of the odds. They faced physical challenges, societal barriers, and limited facilities, yet turned every hurdle into a stepping stone.
India’s para-athletes didn’t just win 22 medals—they showed what’s possible when you keep going. Every jump, throw, and sprint was built on years of hard work and heart. Their victories are India’s pride, a story of resilience and inspiration for anyone who dares to dream big.
– global bihari bureau
