New Delhi : The World Para Athletics Championships was officially declared open on Thursday following a glittering opening ceremony at the JLN Stadium here. The event was attended by Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and top officials from the global and the country’s paralympic bodies.Scheduled from Sept 27 to Oct 5, the championships will feature over 2,200 para athletes from 104 nations competing in 186 medal events. There will be over 100 medallists from the 2024 Paris Paralympics vying for glory at the biggest para-sporting event ever hosted in India. Among them, five Paralympians stand out.Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland)The queen of wheelchair racing, Debrunner stole the show at the Paris 2024, claiming five gold and a silver. She holds eight World Championships titles and was honoured with the ‘Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year’ in the differently-abled category in 2023. In New Delhi, she will compete in 100m, 400m, 800m, 1500m and 5000m.James Turner (Australia)Turner made a sensational entry into para athletics with gold in the 800m T36 at the Rio Paralympics 2016. He added two more Paralympic titles in Paris 2024. Turner will aim for a fourth world title in the 400m T36 on Sept 28 and a third gold in the 100m T36 as well on Oct 3.Hunter Woodhall (USA)Following his standout performances in Paris, Woodhall has emerged as one of the most recognised names in para athletics. He claimed gold in the 400m T62 category and silver in Kobe. A sprinting powerhouse, Woodhall is set to be a major contender in the men’s 400m T62 and 200m T64.Magdalena Andruszkiewicz (Poland)A rising star in frame running ahead of her Paralympic debut at Los Angeles 2028, Andruszkiewicz is the reigning world champion in the 100m T72 and won silver at the Paris Worlds in 2023. In New Delhi, she will compete in the 400m T72 final on Sept 28, and 100m T72 on Sept 30.Raoua Tlili (Tunisia)Tunisia’s throwing queen, Tlili is a dominant force in both shot put and discus. She boasts of 11 World Championships titles. In New Delhi, she will compete in the shot put F41 on Sept 27 and the discus F41 on Oct 3.
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