World Para Athletics C'ships to be held on Mondo track in Delhi, tender controversy arises

India is gearing up to host the prestigious World Para Athletics Championships for the first time, from September 27 to October 5, 2025, at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

The event, expected to attract over 2,500 athletes, officials, and dignitaries from more than 100 countries, will take place on a newly-laid Mondotrack—a high-performance surface used in the Olympic Games.

The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) officially announced the venue and track surface on Friday, saying that choosing the Mondo track was a key part of their goal to deliver the best-ever edition of the event.

“At the core of this championship lies the most critical element—the track, where champions are made and records are broken,” the PCI said.

“We have chosen Mondo, the same surface used in every Olympics since 1976, based on international standards and strong recommendations from India’s top athletes like Neeraj Chopra, Sumit Antil, and Parveen Kumar.”

The Mondotrack is made from vulcanized rubber and is designed to reduce injury risk, absorb shock, and boost athletic performance through better traction and energy return. It has been used in major global events, including the Paris Olympics and Diamond League finals.

However, the decision to lay the Mondo surface has sparked a controversy over the tendering process, as per a report from the Times of India. A government tender floated on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) explicitly mentioned Mondo by name, requiring bidders to submit an authorisation certificate from the Italian manufacturer. This has led to accusations of monopolistic and restrictive trade practices, with critics alleging that other qualified suppliers were unfairly excluded.

Sources claim that the cost quoted by Mondo for laying the main 400m track and warm-up area is significantly higher than what other suppliers could have offered—₹23.17 crore for the main arena and ₹18 crore for the warm-up zone, compared to estimated alternative costs of ₹15 crore and ₹8–10 crore, respectively.

The current synthetic track at JLN Stadium was installed by Swiss company CONICA in partnership with Indian brand Shiv Naresh ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. During a recent meeting with Sports Authority of India (SAI) officials, at least 14 prospective bidders reportedly raised concerns about favouritism toward Mondo.

In response, SAI defended the decision, saying that it followed recommendations from PCI after an inspection of the existing track, and received in-principle approval from Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. According to SAI, Mondo tracks have proven benefits in terms of speed, safety, and consistency, making them ideal for a global competition of this scale.

SAI also clarified that suggestions from vendors during the pre-bid meeting were reviewed and incorporated to ensure a transparent process. The tendering is currently ongoing through the Central Public Procurement (CPP) portal, with final decisions yet to be made.