World Para Athletics Championships: Tunisia Shines in New Delhi
The World Para Athletics Championships, held in New Delhi, India, from September 27 to October 5, have come to a close, leaving behind valuable lessons. It has become clear that a new generation of athletes is emerging to surround the current stars of the sport, and the prospects are promising.
Tunisia's Impressive Performance
This international competition saw the participation of ten Tunisian champions, with the unfortunate exclusion of our world and paralympic champion, Roua Jebabli. Despite this, Tunisia's paralympic athletes won a total of 9 medals: 2 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze. The two gold medals were won by:
- Yassine Gharbi in the 400m wheelchair (T54) event
- Raoua Tlili in the discus throw (F41) event
The four silver medals were won by:
- Maroua Brahmi (hammer throw F32)
- Yassine Ghnichi (shot put F36)
- Mohamed Nidhal Khalifi (800m wheelchair T53)
- Ammen Allah Tissaoui (1500m T37)
The three bronze medals were won by:
- Raoua Tlili (shot put F41)
- Raja Jebali (shot put F40)
- Yassine Gharbi (800m wheelchair T54)
Tunisia finished 28th in the medal table and 2nd in the Arab and African world.
A Promising Future
Although there were only ten Tunisian athletes participating, they made a significant impact. With Jebabli's presence, they could have done even better, but the merit of these athletes is still commendable. They showed courage and dedication to their country's colors.
What's Next?
This raises the same question we have been asking for months. Given the good performances of a new generation of young athletes in various sports disciplines, what will we do to support them? These emerging athletes need resources (which are currently lacking) to improve and showcase their qualities in future official competitions. It is essential to consider this factor in the preparation of the sports department's budget for 2026, especially since the motto is clear: "We participate to achieve results."
A Warning to National Federations
With each exploit, it's not just journalists who surround our champions, especially the emerging ones, but also recruiters and headhunters looking for talent to "sell" to those who need future gems to represent their colors. Our national sports federations and the supervising department are warned.
