India enjoyed a stellar day at the World Para Athletics Championships 2025 in New Delhi on Friday, with Nishad Kumar and Simran Sharma both clinching gold medals in their respective events. Their victories propelled India to 4th position in the medal tally.
Nishad Kumar won gold in the men's high jump T47 event, setting a new Asian record of 2.14m. This was Nishad's first major international gold medal. A two-time Paralympic silver medalist, Nishad's winning jump in New Delhi bettered his own mark of 2.09m set at the 2023 edition of the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris. The T47 class is for athletes with a unilateral upper limb impairment, resulting in some loss of function at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. Abdullah Ilgaz of Turkiye won silver with 2.08m, and world record holder Roderick Townsend-Roberts of the USA won bronze with 2.03m.
Simran Sharma won gold in the women's 100m T12 final with a personal best time of 11.95 seconds. This is India's first-ever gold medal in the women's T12 event. The T12 class is for athletes with moderate visual impairment, allowing them to compete with or without a guide runner. Liang Yanfen of China won silver in 12.11s, and Nagore Folgado of Spain won bronze in 12.11s. Simran Sharma is the reigning champion in the women's 200m in the same category.
In addition to the two gold medals, Preethi Pal won bronze in the women's 200m T35 with a season-best time of 30.03s, and Pardeep Kumar won bronze in the men's discus throw F64 with a top effort of 46.23m.
With these wins, India's medal tally at the World Para Athletics Championships 2025 reached 15, including six gold, five silver, and four bronze. This performance marks a significant improvement, propelling India to fourth place in the medal standings. The host nation is on track to surpass their best-ever medal haul of 17, achieved in Kobe 2024.
The World Para Athletics Championships 2025 features over 2000 athletes from 104 countries competing in 186 medal events. The event is taking place in New Delhi.
