India is entering a golden age of excellence in para-sports, believes Devendra Jhajharia, the president of the Paralympic Committee of India.
India is set to host the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi from September 27, and Jhajharia is confident that India is on the path to becoming a leading para-sporting nation.
“The aim is to show that India is a force in para-sports. Hosting the World Para Athletic Championships in Delhi is part of that aim, and strengthens our bid for success in the 2026 Paralympic Games,” remarked the former Paralympic gold medallist in an interview with The Telegraph.
Indian para-sports are riding a wave of immense success, with the national contingent winning 29 medals (including seven golds) at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, a tally far surpassing the 19-medal haul at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
“In Paris, we improved our medal tally from the previous Games (Tokyo) by more than 50 per cent — the largest growth across all countries. This is all down to the investment from the government.”
Success in the field has created increased interest and investment, and the country’s first dedicated high-performance centre is coming up in Gandhinagar.
The immediate priority, though, is the championships next month. With 107 countries and more than 2,500 athletes set to participate, Jhajharia is confident that it will be a resounding success.
“Target number 1 for us is to organise the best possible tournament. Target number 2 is to deliver personal-best performances. We can win at least 17-20 medals.”
(The writer is an intern with The Telegraph)
