“Have pain in my leg, a little headache”: Kenyan coach Dennis after dog bite at ongoing World Para Athletics C’ships
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
During a practice session at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday, the World Para Athletics Championships took an unexpected turn when Kenya’s sprint coach, Dennis Mwanzo, was bitten by a stray dog. The incident happened on the warm‑up track, just before athletes lined up for a run.
Mwanzo, who had been coaching his team into a warm‑up, felt a sudden bite on his leg. “I thought the physiotherapist was touching me,” he told . “When I turned I saw a dog biting me. I’ve been in pain and have a mild headache.” He said he’d been drinking water all morning, hoping the headache was dehydration.
The bite was followed by a similar attack on Japan’s coach, Meiko Okumatsu, and Kenya’s Esteban Maragia. Both coaches were given first aid in the Athlete Medical Room. They were then taken to Safdarjung Hospital for treatment and later escorted back to their hotels.
The organizers of the Championships have pledged to keep athletes, officials and spectators safe. “We are committed to a secure environment,” the Organising Committee said in a statement. They had asked Delhi’s Municipal Corporation (MCD) to remove stray dogs from the stadium before the event opened. In August, the MCD cleared the premises and stationed dog‑catching vehicles on site.
Despite these measures, stray dogs managed to slip into the stadium on October 3, biting two foreign coaches. In response, the MCD now keeps two dedicated dog‑catching teams on standby inside the stadium and uses vehicles to move captured animals to shelters. All animals are treated following strict welfare guidelines.
The stadium has been thoroughly sanitized in partnership with city authorities, and extra preventive steps are in place to keep the event running smoothly. Two on‑site safety teams work around the clock, ready to act if another incident arises.
The World Para Athletics Championships 2025 will continue as planned, with organizers emphasizing that participant safety remains non‑negotiable while respecting animal welfare.
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