Bhubaneswar, March 19: The 24th National Para Athletics Championship kicked off here at the iconic Kalinga Stadium last evening. Organized by the Department of Sports and Youth Services (DSYS), in collaboration with the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) and Para Sports Association of Odisha, the event will continue until March 21, 2026. The championship was officially inaugurated by the Minister of Sports and Youth Services, Suryabanshi Suraj.
Around 1460 para-athletes from 28 states, along with teams from BSF and SSCB, are competing at the Kalinga Stadium. A total of 40 athletes are representing the host state, Odisha. Competitions will be held across 145 medal events. Sporting events are scheduled daily from 9 AM to 11 AM and 4 PM to 8 PM.
Several distinguished Paralympic medalists, Arjuna Awardees, Asian Games medalists and World Championship medalists, including triple Paralympic medalist Mariyappan Thangavelu are here to participate in the championship.
Also competing in the tournament will be double Paralympic gold medalist Sumit Antil, who won gold in the men’s Javelin throw (F43/F44/F64) at World Para Athletics Grand Prix in New Delhi last week with a throw of 69.25m.
Besides these two, other distinguished athletes who will take part in the three-day event are Navdeep Singh (F41), Praveen Kumar (T64), Preethi Pal, Praveen Kumar, Shailesh Kumar, Rakeshbhai Bhatt, Rohit Kumar, Devendra Singh Gurjar, Poonam, Lakshmi, Jayanti Behera, Yogesh Kathuniya, Dharambir and Pranav Soorma.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Sports Minister said, “Odisha is redefining inclusive sports by ensuring that all upcoming sports projects are Divyang-friendly. This event is a testament to India’s growing stature as a global sporting power, aligned with the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.”
MLA Babu Singh, who was present at the event, said, “Our para-athletes are the pride of the nation. From this sacred land of Lord Jagannath, they will carry home the best experience of Odisha’s hospitality.”
Renowned Paralympian and PCI President Devendra Jhajharia emphasized that “this is the largest championship to date, showcasing the historic progress of Indian para-sports following the success at the Paris Paralympics.”
The event saw the presence of Ashok Kumar Panda and Bijay Kumar Swain (Additional Secretaries, DSYS), Paralympian Markanda Reddy, and other senior officials.
