India's Para Athletics Hosting: A Promising Start, But Olympic Dreams Require More Than Baby Steps

The World Para Athletics Championships 2025 in New Delhi was the first time India hosted such a massive-scale athletics event. The hosts fielded their largest-ever contingent with 73 athletes, and 20 of them won medals on their home soil. India finished tenth in the medal standings with six gold, seven silver, and nine bronze medals.

The event held as much off-field significance as events in the sporting arena, though, and that's why the organisational and logistical side of things deserves separate scrutiny. From event management to marketing, we examine the categories that will be factors in deciding India's hopes of hosting the 2036 Olympics (or any big international multi-sport event).

Here's how we assess the performance of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), in association with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), across the parameters listed below.

Infrastructure and accessibility - C

On Monday, Paralympic Committee of India president Devendra Jhajharia spoke about the importance of accessibility at these events. "We saw the importance of inculcating accessibility in major sporting events and with India's ambition to host the 2036 Olympics, the need for accessibility to be mainstreamed as a priority rather than an afterthought has never been more crucial."

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the event venue, underwent tweaks to make it more accessible for the athletes participating in the event. Athletes whom ESPN spoke to said they were happy with the basic necessities, such as ramps with the correct angles, special washrooms, an equipment room, a warm-up area, and the Athletes' Lounge, all redesigned to suit their needs.

However, there were issues elsewhere. In the stands, for example, while the VIP section had arrangements for differently abled spectators, the rest of the stadium was unfit for their use. Wheelchair spectators were assigned seating space right above the first tier and it seemed a good idea, but was marred by bad execution. As the picture shows, it relied on fans in front remaining seated throughout the event - an unlikely scenario, given the nature of sporting action. So, when spectators in front stood up, they completely blocked the view of those behind them in wheelchairs.

Also, while there were ramps to enter and exit the stadium, there were no ramps inside. So, spectators with mobility issues had to be carried up and down the steps - impractical and unsafe.

This picture shows Amit Saroha, an Arjuna Awardee and Dharambir's (Indian para club thrower and gold medallist at Paris Olympics 2024) coach, being carried by his team while it was drizzling. A mishap here could have seriously jeopardized the safety of the 3-time Asia Para Games medallist simply because he wanted to be closer to his ward during the Men's Club Throw F51 Final.

Also, the entry and exit staircases had no railings or Tactile Ground Surface Indicators - the special surfaces designed to guide the visually impaired - to assist spectators walking towards the stadium from the entrance gate or up and down the stairs.

So, while there were changes made, they were not enough and not thought through; the flaws actually undermined the positives and left potential for accidents and mishaps.

Event organisation - B

Perhaps the biggest headline coming from the event, sadly, was bad news: A stray dog biting coaches from Kenya and Japan. While the coaches were treated immediately and are safe, and the stray dogs were removed from the venue, it could have been a lot worse. And it was so easily preventable; everyone knows that stray dogs are present in that location (as with almost any public space in India). If they could be removed after the incident, why not before, as a preventive measure?

There were other security issues that seemed trivial in the context of how events are run in India but would raise eyebrows among the auditors and Inspectors of the IOC and similar organisations. For example, Indian medal-winning athletes were often stopped by media photographers immediately after completing their events, even before they had a chance to pose with the other athletes. Not only was it a significant breach of security, it also ate into their time of celebrating with fans, friends & family, as well as fulfilling media obligations.

Similarly, the ugly scenes when Neeraj Chopra showed up on Day 4 and witnessed Sumit Antil break the championship record again with his 71.37m throw and claim gold. His presence was electrifying, but poor crowd control by the organisers marred the occasion and created safety issues for spectators and media.

There was also good, though: arrangements for all athletes' rest and recovery were made free of cost at the Taj Palace hotel, where they were staying, and several athletes ESPN spoke to appreciated this facility (and noted that it wasn't the norm at other events). However, there was also an instance where a bus driver was unaware of the route from the hotel to the stadium and took the wrong route. Again, seemingly trivial, but a massive travel delay could cause athletes on board to miss their event or compromise their warm-up routine.

Visibility and publicity - F

How many in New Delhi knew that India was hosting the World Para Athletics (before the dog-bite news made the TV channels)? Very few, especially if they weren't involved in the event in any capacity - whether they were competing or organising.

The poor attendance at the event - the vast stands largely empty on most days - can be directly attributed to a lack of awareness and publicity. No billboards, no ads, no active promotion, no celebrity involvement, nothing on the metro trains or at the stations - the promotion was confined to a statement from para-athletes released solely on SAI's social media handles. In contrast, the 36th edition of the National Games, held across multiple cities in Gujarat in 2022, saw several top athletes, including PV Sindhu, actively promote the event.

This is in line with a larger issue: neither the PCI nor the Athletics Federation of India has promoted track and field as a spectator sport in India and addressing that should be the first step.

Fans in attendance - B

This is not about the poor attendance; the blame for that solely lies with the organisers' failure to promote the event. Let's instead talk about the ones who were actually there.

Indian fans in attendance were (understandably) unaware of the protocols to be followed during certain events, particularly those involving visually impaired athletes who require verbal prompts. On one of the days, competitors in the Women's Long Jump T37 Final and Men's Long Jump T11 Final were interrupted by the sound of drums and cheers coming from the stands. It interfered directly with their preparations, as they couldn't hear their guides' voices to judge the distance and direction.

However, once the spectators were informed of the rules and protocols for such events, they did their best to create a supportive environment, including sitting in silence when required.

The fans' backing was initially for Indian athletes, but as the Games progressed, there was growing empathy and support for athletes from other countries too. The medallists who stuck to celebrating with their friends, family, and national contingent grew comfortable celebrating with the Indian spectators in attendance, who cheered for the winners with genuine zeal and appreciation, accounting for brief but wholesome interactions.

Those who showed up for the Para Athletics Worlds, simply because of their love for the sport, deserve credit for evolving with each passing day. It was the right example to set, and hopefully, PCI will do everything in its power to retain this audience before targeting a broader one.

Media access - B

I know what you're thinking - there goes the media again, complaining about something or the other. But hear us out: An event such as this (or almost any non-cricket sports event in India) needs its stories told, its stars feted, its heroes and heroines highlighted. That is the media's job - but a job it can do only if it is given the chance. There were many stories to be told here, many athletes to be celebrated, but short-sighted and bureaucratic thinking got in the way.

The best way to tell stories, especially in today's digital age, is through video - reels, etc. However, a blanket ban on video interviews, reactions from athletes and fans, and others present in the stadium prevents the kind of compelling storytelling that can draw interest from those unaware of the entire event.

The final day, for example, witnessed two young fans cheering for Navdeep during the Men's Javelin Throw F41 Final with utmost passion. They were the loudest among those in the stands, accounting for one of the most powerful images from the entire event. A video of the same would have had a better impact. Similarly, on days when only 8 or 10 fans showed up, a video of them passionately cheering for the athletes would have drawn significant interest from those who stayed at home.