India will host best-ever Word Para Athletics C''ships this year: PCI chief Jhajharia

New Delhi, Jun 20 (PTI) Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) president Devendra Jhajharia on Friday said India will host the "best-ever" World Para Athletics Championships to held here later this year, adding that they are leaving no stone unturned to make the event a grand success.

India will host its first-ever World Para Athletics Championships from September 26 to October 5 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here, which will feature more than 2,500 athletes from over 100 countries competing for 186 medals.

"It is going to be the biggest event in the history of para in India. Over 2,500 athletes and officials will be coming for this event. It is a big opportunity for India," Jhajharia said during a ceremony to unveil the tournament's logo and mascot.

"We will conduct the best-ever event in the history of Indian sports. The world will get the message that India have hosted the best event in the history of sports," said Jhajharia, who is the first Indian to win two gold medals at the Paralympics.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is currently under renovation with a new track being laid for the competition. Jhajharia assured that everything would be ready before the championships.

"The track and the entire Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will be ready a month before the tournament. We are taking care of everything in detail, including best boarding facilities for all athletes and delegations of the world. The work is going in the manner which we wanted. All athletes and delegates will be staying in the best hotels of the city," he said.

Jhajharia said the championships will inspire a generation of Indian para athletes.

"(A) host country automatically gets the benefit. The new players will get opportunity to watch the big stars of the world in para athletics. It will also give a big message that India is ready to host the 2036 Olympics and Paralympics." The ceremony on Friday, which also marked the beginning of a 100-day countdown to the tournament, was attended by the Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta as chief guest, Delhi's Education and Sports Minister Ashish Sood, BJP MP and Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, who is event's brand ambassador, as well as the head of the World Para Athletics, Paul Fitzgerald among others.

Fitzgerald said, "In a few months time world's best para athletes will come here. It is an incredible opportunity to show India to the world. More para athletes will be here than Paris Paralympics. In three months we will create history," he said.

Ranaut said, "I am here not just to endorse but to amplify and to support all our para athletes." PTI SSC SSC DDV