Bhubaneswar: The 20th National Para Athletics Championships 2022 got off to a grand, colourful start at the Kalinga Stadium here on Monday evening.
The Odisha contingent and teams from other states took part in the marchpast at the inauguration ceremony. A cultural function was also organized.
Over 1,000 para athletes are taking part in the four-day meet, with women making up for a record 25% of the participants.
In contention for medals will be 763 athletes with physical disabilities, 153 visually impaired athletes, 44 with cerebral palsy, 7 with intellectual disabilities and 20 short-stature athletes.
Among the star attractions in the National championships will be Tokyo Paralympics medallists Devendra Jhajharia, Sumit Antil, Yogesh Kathunia, Nishad Kumar, Mariyappan Thangavelu, Praveen Kumar, Sharad Kumar and Sundar Singh Gurjar.
Competitions will be held in multiple events across 12 disciplines in 185 categories.
