When the 12th World Para Athletics Championships take place at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium from 27 September to 5 October, Ottobock will be there as the official technical service partner. Over 1,000 athletes from around the world will compete in 186 medal events, making the IndianOil New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships the largest Para sports event ever held in India.

For para-athletes, it is crucial that their technical devices, such as prostheses, orthoses or wheelchairs, function perfectly in order for them to compete. With a team of 58 members, including around 20 technicians, Ottobock is on site to provide the athletes with free support. Whether it's loose screws, broken straps or replacing individual parts, wheelchair, prosthesis and orthosis specialists ensure that athletes can always rely on their devices.

Ottobock Wheelchair Experience World

In addition to technical services, Ottobock also offers a Wheelchair Experience World in New Delhi. Here, the company invites visitors to immerse themselves in the world of wheelchair sports and try out wheelchair basketball, wheelchair table tennis, or a wheelchair obstacle course for themselves. With this offering, Ottobock aims to break down barriers and show how wheelchairs provide mobility, while also drawing attention to the importance of barrier-free infrastructure.

Para sports on the rise in India

We talk to Santosh Rout, Principal Marketing Manager Prosthetics at Ottobock India, and Heinrich Popow, Director Performance Solutions at Ottobock and former para-athlete and multiple Paralympic medallist, about how para sports are developing in India and the role played by the World Championships in New Delhi.

What are you most looking forward to about the IndianOil New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships?

Santosh: "I'm particularly looking forward to seeing the athletes in action. In our care centres, the initial focus is always on giving people the opportunity to walk again and lead an independent life. Sport is at the top of this pyramid – and racing is, so to speak, the pinnacle. It is the most demanding and at the same time the most impressive form of mobility."

Heinrich: "For me, this World Championships is something special because I won my first World Championship title in India in 2009 – a defining moment in my career. Sometimes it feels like it was yesterday, so I'm looking forward to coming back. At the same time, the cards are being reshuffled in New Delhi: with heat and high humidity, conditions prevail that can change a lot. I am curious to see which athletes will cope best with this and perhaps gain completely new opportunities as a result. And of course, I am also looking forward to seeing the people in India."

The World Championships will be the biggest para sports event ever held in India. What impact could this have on para sports in this country?

Santosh: "2025 is a veritable year of para sports in India – with the first Para Athletics Grand Prix, our Running Clinic and now the World Para Athletics Championships. This means that para sports are more in focus here than ever before. The development is particularly exciting in comparison: While India's successes at the Olympic Games were rather limited, the country increased enormously for the Paralympic Games – from one medal in 2012 to 29 in 2024. These achievements have attracted a lot of attention and turned para-athletes into heroes. This is a very special development for India."

India is a country with great cultural diversity. How are people with disabilities currently perceived in society?

Santosh: “India is a huge and diverse country with a population of 1.4 billion, so it cannot be generalised. But what can be said is that sport brings people together, and with the growth of para sports in recent years, people with disabilities are perceived more positively and present in society.”

Heinrich, you are the initiator and trainer of the Running Clinics. In spring, one of these was held in India. Could you briefly explain what a Running Clinic is exactly?

Heinrich: The Running Clinics are training weekends for people with lower limb amputations or dysmelia, where they can learn or improve how to use sports prostheses. The aim is to promote self-confidence, joy of movement and athletic abilities. These weekends are held all over the world.

There was previously a Running Clinic in India in 2015. Did you notice any differences or developments at this year's event compared to back then?

Santosh: “This year's Running Clinic had different objectives from those in 2015. Back then, it was all about getting the participants excited about exercise and motivating them to lead active lives. In 2025, there was a stronger focus on competitive sports. Together with partners such as the Paralympic Committee of India, we were able to offer an advanced level. Heinrich is a great motivator from whom the participants can learn a lot and he manages to respond to each and every one of them.”

Heinrich: "Many of the participants hadn't been familiar with the Running Clinic and sports prostheses at the time, there was still a lot of uncertainty and you had to explain everything first. This year, the atmosphere was completely different: the participants were absolutely enthusiastic. You can clearly see that a lot has changed in India. The experience of the past and todays work are giving rise to something new – and it's exciting to see that we can be part of this process."

How do people currently get a sport prosthesis or other technical devices for sports in India?

Santosh: “India is still a self-pay market, but economic growth and improved insurance structures could make it easier to access sports prostheses in the future. Everyday care is a top priority: for most people, the first thing is to actively participate in life again, to be able to work and to provide for their families. Only when this basis is secured will the focus shift to sport. We are working on creating ways to give more people the opportunity to actively participate in sports.”

Heinrich: “You notice in any case that there is a real attempt to change something here compared to other countries. There is less talk and more action. India is developing rapidly in this area, and I am convinced that the country will surprise many with the seriousness and commitment in implementing the possibility of para sports here.”

Against the backdrop of all these developments – how do you see the overall development of para sport in India?

Heinrich: "Para sports in India will make an enormously positive leap forward in the coming years. Thanks to the large population, they have a solid foundation. Sport will develop both at the top and in society at large – the two are interlinked: without sport in the society, there can be no elite sport, and without elite sport, the interest in sport in general won`t rise. The top will grow significantly over the next five years, and in the next ten years the sport in the society will grow as well. On this basis, para sports will also significantly improve the everyday lives of people with disabilities over the long term."

Santosh: “It is important to take the right steps and we try to be very careful. A few years ago, the situation was rather disorganised and there was still little awareness of disability sport. Today, we can see that sport is developing both at the top and general terms – just as Heinrich says, the two are linked. That is why we are looking at how we can provide targeted support: for example, we signed a contract with the Paralympic Committee of India to build strategic support, create infrastructure and support talent. A lot is going to happen and we are looking forward to it.”