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India dominated the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, securing the top position in the medal tally with an impressive haul of 134 medals, including 45 gold, 40 silver, and 49 bronze. The prestigious event, held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, saw participation from around 150 Indian para-athletes and 100 competitors from 19 other countries.
Three-time Paralympic champion Vanessa Low of Australia lived up to her reputation, clinching gold in the women’s T61-64 long jump event. She recorded a best attempt of 4.96m, comfortably securing the top spot. India’s Bhavani Munniyandi bagged the bronze medal in the same event with a 3.51m effort, while Neutral Paralympic Athlete Zhanna Fekolina claimed silver with a 4.13m jump.
Preethi Pal Continues Her Medal-Winning Streak
India’s Paris Paralympics medallist, Preethi Pal, continued her remarkable form by winning a bronze medal in the women’s T35-38 200m final. She clocked 31.50 seconds, adding to her earlier silver in the 100m event. The gold in the 200m event was won by Australia’s Rhiannon Clarke (26.76s), with Neutral Paralympic Athlete Margarita Goncharova securing silver (27.00s). Preethi, who made history at the Paris Paralympics by becoming the first Indian woman track and field athlete to win two medals, expressed her desire to aim for gold at the upcoming World Para Athletics Championships in September.
Bhuvi Agarwal Wins Bronze in Women’s Long Jump
In the men’s shot put F11–F20 category, India achieved a clean sweep with Sagar winning gold (11.47m), followed by Janka Singh (9.91m) and Balaji Rajendran (9.89m) clinching silver and bronze, respectively. Similarly, in the women’s long jump T20–T37 event, India’s Bhuvi Agarwal secured a bronze medal with a leap of 4.16m, while Irina Sapanzha won gold (5.35m) and Valentina took silver (5.16m).
The men’s 200m T35 event saw Neutral Paralympic Athlete Dmitrii Safronov clocking 24.20 seconds to secure gold. India’s Vinay (29.58s) and Abhishek Babasaheb Jadhav (31.55s) won silver and bronze, respectively. In the men’s 200m T37 category, Neutral Paralympic Athletes swept the podium with outstanding performances.
India’s dominance at the Grand Prix underlines the nation’s growing strength in para athletics. With a four-year contract signed to host the event annually until 2028, Indian para-athletes are set to gain more international exposure and competitive opportunities on home soil. The performance at the Grand Prix sets the stage for an exciting showdown at the World Para Athletics Championships later this year.
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