Indian Paralympic medallist Preeti Pal surged to victory in the Women’s 100m T35/36 final at the season-opening Dubai World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2026, clocking 14.32 seconds, securing gold and setting a powerful tone for the year’s major global para-sport calendar.
Indian sprint ace Preeti Pal, a two-time Paralympic medallist, delivered a commanding performance at the 17th Fazza International Para Athletics Championships Dubai 2026, part of the World Para Athletics Grand Prix circuit, by winning gold in the Women’s 100m T35/36 final with a time officially reported at 14.32 seconds.
The Dubai event held at the Dubai Club for People of Determination and marking the opening of the 2026 International Grand Prix season attracted nearly 400 elite para-athletes from around 46 nations, including Paralympic champions and world medal winners.
Officials from the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) and Athletics Federation of India (AFI) lauded her performance as a major confidence boost early in the season, especially ahead of other marquee meets such as the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya later this year.
While a direct quote from Preeti at the event has not yet been published, her victory resonated across social media and sports feeds as one of the marquee moments of the championships.
A Season of Stakes, Context and Rising Expectations
Preeti’s win in Dubai comes in the context of an already distinguished international career. She wrote her name into Indian sports history with two bronze medals in the 100m and 200m T35 at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, becoming the first Indian woman to win two track medals at a single Paralympic Games.
At the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, she continued her strong form, earning a silver medal in the women’s 100m T35, underscoring her consistency at the highest levels of competition.
India’s contingent at the Dubai event comprised a 50-member squad of Paralympic and world-champion stars, including javelin champions Sumit Antil (F64) and Navdeep (F41). Organisers emphasised that the Grand Prix not only offers early ranking points and competitive exposure but also helps athletes fine-tune their preparations for major events later in the year such as the Commonwealth and Asian Para Games.
What Preeti’s Triumph Means for Indian Para Sport
Preeti’s success is emblematic of the remarkable rise of Indian para-athletics on the world stage. From limited global visibility just a decade ago to now consistently producing medallists, India’s para athletes are carving out a new chapter in sporting excellence, symbolising resilience and pride.
Her journey from overcoming cerebral palsy to standing atop podiums at Paralympic, world championship, and Grand Prix levels inspires both within and beyond sports corridors. Support structures such as training access, the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), and enhanced coaching have played a vital role in her development and that of her peers.
This victory in Dubai not only adds to her individual legacy but reinforces India’s broader ambitions in para-sport: to cultivate more champions, foster inclusive athletics, and expand opportunity for disabled athletes across the country.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Preeti’s gold is not merely a sporting achievement; it is a powerful narrative of dignity, inclusion, and aspiration. In a world where people with disabilities still face social barriers and invisibility, her success brings visibility not only to athletic ability but to human possibility.
Sport, in its purest form, is a bridge it connects people across difference, celebrates effort over circumstance, and honours courage alongside victory. Preeti embodies these values on and off the track.
Her achievements should not only be applauded but also leveraged to galvanise greater societal support for accessibility, equity in sports infrastructure, and empathetic recognition of differently-abled citizens’ contributions.
