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The stage is set for the World Para Athletics Championships 2025 in New Delhi, the biggest para athletics event ever hosted by India. With more than 2,500 athletes from over 100 nations expected to compete, the Championships will showcase world-class talent and celebrate the spirit of para sport on Indian soil.
Among India's leading medal hopes is Ekta Bhyan, the country's top club thrower in the F51 classification. She clinched gold at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, a bronze at the World Para Athletics Championship, Paris, a bronze at the 2023 Asian Para Games in China, and gold at the World Para Athletics Championship, Kobe 2024, establishing herself as one of the finest club throwers globally. With her training focused on surpassing her personal best, she is determined to make a mark in front of the home crowd. "This championship is special. It's on home soil, and it gives athletes like me the energy to dream bigger. Over the past months, I have been training with complete focus--fine-tuning my technique, building consistency, and pushing myself to better my personal best. Now, I want to turn that preparation and energy into a medal for India," said Ekta as quoted by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) press release. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports have played a vital role in building this moment, offering world-class training facilities, financial support, and mentoring to India's para athletes. Their commitment ensures that athletes compete without barriers and with the best possible preparation at the highest stage. Athletes will be competing on a new world-class Mondo track and throwing arena at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, among the most advanced athletic surfaces globally. Designed to maximise performance, it will provide the perfect stage for para athletes to deliver record-breaking performances and thrilling competitions. Her journey to this stage is nothing short of inspiring. At the age of 18, Ekta survived a car accident that left her with a cervical spinal cord injury, resulting in quadriplegia and making her a permanent wheelchair user. What could have ended her dreams instead became the start of a new chapter. Determined to reclaim her life, she resumed her education, cleared the Haryana Civil Services exam in 2013, and became financially independent. A chance introduction to club throw by Arjuna Awardee Amit Saroha then changed everything. With a medal in her very first national championships, she embraced sport as her new calling. Since then, she has risen to become one of India's most consistent para athletes. Now, as the spotlight turns to New Delhi, Ekta is ready to channel years of struggle, discipline, and achievement into one defining performance at the IndianOil World Para Athletics Championships 2025--symbolising not just her personal journey, but India's growing strength in para athletics. (ANI)
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