Para Sports
World Para Athletics GP 2025, a great place to watch heroes: Deepa Malik
APC President Majid Rashed to be guest of honor for the event.
Deepa Malik believes that the event will be of great value. (Photo: PTI)
New Delhi: The World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025 is set to take place at the capital’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium from March 11-13 and Deepa Malik, the country’s first woman Paralympic medalist believes that the event will be of great value.
“The event will be of great value because it will give us a lot of technical learning. I hope a lot of school children come because no better place to get inspired than to watch heroes play. It’s going to be highly inspirational. We'll have Paralympic medal winners exhibiting their skills as well,” Deepa Malik, told The Bridge on Saturday.
The Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) President Majid Rashed will be the guest of honor at the opening ceremony of the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025.
Tarek Souei, Vice president of World Para Athletics, will be the technical delegate.
The tournament marks a historic moment as India hosts its first-ever international para athletics event.
The tournament will feature top para-athletes around the world, around 250 athletes from 20 participating nations, vying for top honors in over 90 events. The event lineup includes 145 Indian and 105 international competitors.
The athletics grand prix will work as a preparatory ground in the run-up to the World Para Athletics Championships scheduled from September 26 to October 5 this year.
Paris Paralympics gold medalists Praveen (High Jump T64), Navdeep (Javelin F41), and Dharambir (Club Throw F51) will lead the Indian charge. Last month, the Indian contingent had finished the Dubai World Para GP with 21 medals including 9 gold, 8 silver and 4 bronze medals.
“This will be a chance for the newcomers to rub shoulders with Paralympic medalists. An opportunity, for which, they probably would have to wait for three to four years," said Deepa Malik.
Indian para-athletes achieved their best-ever performance at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, securing a record-breaking 29 medals, surpassing their previous best of 19 medals at the Tokyo Games.
Reacting to Indian para athletes’ progressive performance at the world stage, Deepa said, “The governance is in the right direction and we have an inclusive policy, this is a direct result.”
A stepping stone
Events like the athletics grand prix can work as a stepping stone in India's ambitious Olympics dream and Deepa only supports the motion. India has already submitted a letter of intent to host the biggest sporting spectacle.
She believes hosting events will help prepare India by developing the necessary infrastructure, accessibility and expertise.
"When you are organizing it, then you understand the requirements. This is going to be like a prelude," she said.
"We are raising our bar. This could be one of the stepping stones. No Olympics can happen without Paralympics happening. If we have to gear up for the Olympics, we have to parallelly gear up for Paralympics.
“You may have volunteers for the Olympics, but para volunteers should know how to assist a person who is visually impaired or how to wheel a wheelchair. Should be able to help an athlete with a different disability. We have to create an ecosystem. And it's only when you organize that you understand the requirements,” the former Paralympic Committee of India chief added.
