Sumit Antil to Navdeep Singh: Indian medal contenders at 2025 World Para-Athletics C'ships

New Delhi is set to host the World Para-Athletics Championships, bringing the biennial track and field extravaganza to India for the first time.

This will be the first major competition for the top Indian para-athletes since their most successful Paralympics campaign in Paris last year, winning 17 medals.

This will be the 12th edition of the World Championships, with over 2,200 Para athletes from 104 countries to fight for world titles across 184 medal events.

India had their best-ever campaign at the last edition of the World Championships in 2024 and will now be aiming to better that in front of a home crowd.

Here are the top medal contenders for India at these championships.

Track events

India has improved a lot in the track events over the years and is now slowly becoming a force to be reckoned with in this discipline. 

In 2023, India failed to win any track event medals and struggled to reach the finals, but the very next year, track events became a major contributor to the country's medal tally.

In 2024, India won four medals in the track, including two gold medals from Simran Sharma and Deepthi Jeevanji and two bronze medals from Preethi Pal.

All three of these athletes will be competing at the tournament and will be the favourites to win multiple medals at this edition as well.

Simran, the T12 category sprinter, will be competing in both 100 and 200m races, hoping to defend her 200m title. She will start her campaign with 100m heats on October 3rd.

Meanwhile, Deepthi will be in action on the opening day (27th September) and will aim to defend her title in the 400m T20 Category.

Javelin Throw

Javelin throw is the biggest medal contributor for India at these championships, and it will be one discipline to watch out for, which can also bring in multiple gold medals.

The biggest name in para javelin throw right now is the three-time medalist and 2-time defending champion Sumit Antil, who is the clear favourite to complete his hat-trick of gold.

The Paralympic champion Navdeep Singh and the world record holder Mandeep Singh Gurjar will also fight for the gold medal in their respective categories.

On the other hand, India could secure a double podium in the men's F46 javelin throw, with three top-tier athletes – Ajeet Singh, Rinku, and Sundar Singh – competing in the event.

Jumping Events

Indian high jumpers had a really big history at these championships, having multiple world and Paralympic titles. These athletes will try to maintain their consistency and win multiple medals here across three high jump categories.

The biggest athlete to watch out for in the high jump category will be Paralympic champion Praveen Kumar, who missed out on a podium last time by finishing heartbreaking fourth.

Alongside him, former medalists like Nishad Kumar (T47) and Varun Bhati (T42/63) will also be among the favorites to win the medals at this event.

Other Possible Medalists

Dharambir Nain: The Paralympic champion and flag-bearer, Dharambir, will be aiming for his maiden world title in the men's club throw event.

Meanwhile, Ekta Bhyan, the defending champion in women's club throw, will be aiming to add another medal to her tally, especially after the inclusion of her event at the 2028 LA Paralympics.

Sachin Khilari: The two-time defending world champion Shot Putter will be hoping to complete his hat-trick in New Delhi and forget about his miss from the Paris Paralympics, where he had to settle for silver.

Yogesh Kathuniya: The three-time medalist Discus thrower will be a strong favourite to medal again, but this time he will aim to clinch his maiden World gold medal.