Deepa Malik expresses happiness at India’s para-sports progress, attends WPAC 2025 on her birthday
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Deepa Malik, India’s trailblazing first female Paralympic medalist, marked her 55th birthday amid the excitement of the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi. The silver medal winner from the 2016 Rio Games spoke to at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, beaming with pride over India’s booming para-sports scene that landed the country its first-ever hosting of this global event.
“I feel so grateful to the Almighty, the government, Prime Minister Modi, the sports ministry, and the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) for making this happen,” Deepa said. She kicked off the bidding process during her time as PCI president, and now her successor, fellow Paralympian Devendra Jhajaria, has turned that vision into reality. “It’s an honor to be here watching it all unfold,” added the shot put legend, who grabbed silver at the 2011 Championships in Christchurch—a breakthrough moment that opened doors for Indian para-athletes.
Deepa lit up talking about the current stars waving the Indian flag high. “I’m thrilled to see athletes smashing world records and clinching medals, especially more women stepping up,” she said, shouting out Deepthi Jeevanji’s back-to-back wins in the women’s 400m T20. Her enthusiasm for India’s para-sports growth shines through, highlighting a shift from underdogs to champions on the world stage.
She also rallied behind Olympic hero Neeraj Chopra after his tough eighth-place finish at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where his best javelin throw hit 84.03 meters. “No true athlete hits a real low if they’ve trained with heart. Neeraj has brought us so much joy—it’s just part of the journey,” Deepa encouraged. “India celebrates him every day.”
The championships delivered fireworks on Tuesday evening, with India celebrating double gold in javelin throws. Two-time Paralympic champ Sumit Antil dominated the F64 event, securing his third straight world title. With Olympic star Neeraj Chopra cheering from the stands, Sumit smashed the meet record at 71.37 meters on his fifth attempt—topping his previous world record of 70.83 meters from Paris 2023 and 69.50 meters from Kobe 2024. “He’s in a class of his own,” fans buzzed, as Sumit pushed hard even after locking in gold.
In the men’s F44 javelin, Sandip Singh Sargar led an Indian 1-2 sweep, hurling 62.82 meters to edge out the field. Sargar, who snagged bronze in F64 last year, now eyes more medals in this revamped category. Teammate Pushpendra Singh hit a season-best 61.94 meters but settled for third, while Brazil’s Edenilson Roberto grabbed bronze with a F42 world record of 62.36 meters in a nail-biting finish.
Other highlights included Australian Vanessa Low’s third long jump T42 gold, setting a T61 record at 5.49 meters—she’s a three-time champ after wins in 2015, 2019, and 2024. Brazil’s Ricardo Gomes de Mendonca swept the men’s T37 200m for a sprint double, calling the warm New Delhi vibes “just like home.” Poland’s Magdalena Andruszkiewicz set a women’s T72 100m world record at 16.82 seconds, beating Australia’s 2023 mark, while Greece’s javelin thrower in F62 hit 35.08 meters for another record. Ireland’s Orla Comerford topped the women’s T13 200m.
Brazil tops the medals table with seven golds, 14 silvers, and six bronzes, followed by Poland (6-1-5) and China (5-7-4). India sits fourth with four golds, four silvers, and one bronze, fueled by those thrilling javelin victories. As the World Para Athletics Championships continue in New Delhi, expect more inspiring stories from para-athletes pushing limits worldwide.
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