Netherlands wins two gold medals in World Para Athletics Championships, Deepthi Jeevanji in final

NEW DELHI: The morning session of Day 1 of the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships concluded with the Netherlands leading the medal tally as it won two gold medals.

Poland also bagged two medals – one gold and one bronze. China, Colombia, Japan, and the UAE also bagged one gold medal each. Decorated Chinese para athlete Wen Xiaoyan added another accolade to her side after clinching a gold medal in the Women’s Long Jump T37 Final. She jumped 5.32m in her fifth attempt, according to the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) release.

Seven medal events happened in the morning session on Day 1. Kenya Karasawa of Japan clinched the first gold for his country of this event by defeating last year’s Paralympics gold medal winner Yeltsin Jacques of Brazil. He finished the men’s 5000m T11 race with a time of 15:23.38.

DEEPTHI JEEVANJI MADE INTO WORLD FINALS!

She clocked Season Best of 58.35s in Women’s 400m T20 to finish 1st in the Heats 2

ALL THE BEST FOR THE FINALS! pic.twitter.com/J8TMEC6YZB

— The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) September 27, 2025

The highlight for the Indian contingent was the qualification of the runner Deepthi Jeevanji in the finals of the women’s 400m T20 event. She qualified for the medal round in first place in the second heat. She can earn India its first medal of the high-octane event on Day 1, when she competes in the finals during the evening session.

She took 58.35 seconds, which is her season’s best performance.

In the women’s 100m T71 event, Thekra Alkaabi of the UAE secured the World Record and Asian Record with a 19.89 mark.

The New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, held from September 27 to October 5, will bring together more than 2,200 para-athletes from 104 countries at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Featuring 186 medal events, it is the largest Para-Athletics meet in Indian history and serves as a key qualifier for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics, showcasing India’s commitment to accessibility and sporting excellence. (ANI)