The 16th Fazza Para Athletics Grand Prix – Dubai 2025 got underway with a galaxy of Asian stars including Paralympic and world champions in action at stadium of the recently- renovated Dubai Club for People of Determination.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the season-opening Grand Prix will witness around 400 para-athletes from 52 nations descending on the Emirate city between February 10 to 13, 2025.
The competition features top athletes from Asia, including champions from the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, who are ready to start the 2025 season in Dubai.
Biggest stars
China’s Wen Xiaoyan (women’s 100m T37) – who won four out of her nine Paralympic gold medals in Paris last year, reigning Paralympic champions Abdul Rahman Al-Qureshi from Saudi Arabia (men’s 100m T53) and Kuwait’s Faisal Sorour (men’s shot put F42) are among the biggest names on the field.
Fans can also watch China’s Cai Bingchen, who won back-to-back gold medals in Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, will be in action.
From the same delegation, Wu Qing, with four Paralympic gold medals in Paris, London and Beijing, in discus, javelin throw and shot put F33, and Lijuan Zhou also with four Paralympic gold in women’s javelin and women’s shot put F34 in in Rio and Tokyo will also be in action.
Iran’s Saeid Afrooz, who not only took the Paralympic gold medal in the javelin throw F34 in Tokyo and Paris but also broke the World and Paralympic record with a throw of 41.16m.
His compatriot and gold medal winner in men’s shot put F11, Amirhossein Alipour Darbeid is also in Dubai.
Other notable athletes to watch out for are Qatar’s Ali Radi Arshid and Sri Lanka’s Indika Gamage, who were the flag bearers for their delegations at Paris 2024.
UAE field largest team
Hosts UAE will have biggest team of 64 athletes including several newcomers making their international debut. While their usual Paralympic star Mohammed Hammadi will be missed after he retired from the sport after the Paris 2024 Paralympics, the focus will be on youngsters this time.
Promising Mohammed Othman will be carrying the hopes of a medal winning show at his home ground. “Paris 2024 was a satisfying – it was a big confidence booster. My target here is to test my wheelchair and get a good time,” said the 21-year-old, who finished fifth in men’s 100m T34 wheelchair final at Paris 2024.
Among other top names in the UAE team are the Kobe 2024 world champion in women’s shot put F40 Maryam Al Zeyoudi; Sara Aljneibi, Rio 2016 bronze medallist in women’s shot put F33 and home-grown player Siham Alrasheedy (women’s discus throw F57) among others.
“The Fazza Championships have remained the focus of development in the Para sports in all levels and have had positive impact for Dubai to continue its great journey in organising various international championships,” said Majid Al-Usaimi, Director of the Fazza International Championships. All the action from the Dubai 2025 World Para Athletics Grand Prix is live on https://www.youtube.com/@dcduae
