Record 35 Indians to make debut at World Para Athletics Championships

A record 35 athletes will make their debut for India at the World Para Athletics Championships to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here from September 27 to October 5.

Among the debutants is Mahendra Gurjar, who created a world record with a throw of 61.17m in the men's F42 javelin at the Nottwil Grand Prix in Switzerland earlier this year.

Currently training in Patiala, Gurjar will be keen to make a mark in his maiden World Championships appearance.


"This championship isn't just about medals -- it's about showing the world the spirit and ability of Indian para athletes. I hopeour performances encourage more youngsters, especially girls, to chase their sporting dreams," Gurjar said in a release.

The list of first-timers also includes Atul Kaushik (discus F57), Praveen (shot put F46), Haney (discus F37), Mit Patel (long jump T44), Manjeet (javelin F13), Vishu (long jump T12), Pushpendra Singh (javelin F44), Ajay Singh (long jump T47), Shubham Juyal (shot put F57), Birbhadra Singh (discus F57), Dayawanti (women's 400m T20), Amisha Rawat (women's shot put F46), Anandhi Kulanthaisamy (club throw F32), and Suchitra Parida (women's javelin F56).

"To compete at this level, in front of a home crowd, is something I've dreamed about since I first started training. I'm grateful for the opportunity and determined to make India proud," said long jumper Patel.

The championships, billed as India's biggest-ever para sporting event, will feature over 2,200 athletes and officials from more than 100 countries, competing across 186 medal events.