National Events & Championships
Overview
The Indian Blind Sports Association (IBSA) organizes the National Athletics Championship for the Blind every two years—India’s largest sporting event for the visually impaired. Held in partnership with the Blind Relief Association, this championship has seen 23 successful editions and brings together athletes from across the country in events like sprints, jumps, throws, and chess.
Competitions are conducted under international rules, with categories for both totally blind (T11) and low vision (T12, T13) athletes. Certified officials from national federations ensure professional and fair conduct. The event is often graced by Olympians, Arjuna Awardees, and other top athletes.
Beyond athletics, IBSA also organizes national and regional tournaments in sports such as kabaddi, football, goalball, powerlifting, and judo.
Date
13- 16 Dec 2024
Location
Nadiad, Gujarat
Sports Programme
General, Powerlifting, Judo,
Goalball, Football, Chess, Tenpin
Bowling, Shooting, Showdown
The 23rd Usha National Athletics Championship for the Blind was held from 13th to 16th December 2024 in Nadiad, Gujarat, marking India’s largest sporting event for visually impaired athletes. Organized bi-annually by the Indian Blind Sports Association (IBSA), the championship brought together:
- 175 visually impaired athletes
- 50 guide runners, coaches, and managers
- 19 participating states
The event was sponsored by Usha International and co-powered by ISGEC Heavy Engineering Ltd.
Athlete Classification & Anti-Doping Awareness
On 13th December, the IBSA classification team assessed 80 new athletes from states including:
- Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, and others
- 8 athletes were found ineligible following classification
A parallel Anti-Doping workshop was led by Mr. Vikas Tyagi and Mr. Amit Khandelwal from NADA India, covering:
- Use of a dedicated mobile app for visually impaired athletes
- Distribution of the Braille Anti-Doping Guide
- Interactive Q&A with giveaways for 3 participants
Managers’ Meeting
The Managers’ Meeting covered event logistics, rules, and athlete coordination. Key figures Ms. Radhika Bharat Ram (IBSA Chairperson) and Mr. K. C. Pande (Blind Relief Association, Delhi) joined virtually to offer support.
Each team manager received:
- A Technical Handbook
- A Braille Anti-Doping Guide
Inauguration Ceremony
The opening ceremony on 14th December featured distinguished guests:
- Vipul Patel, Chairman, Amul Dairy
- Amit Prakash Yadav, IAS, Collector & DM, Kheda-Nadiad
- Swami Rameshwar Das, Shree Santram Mandir
Also present were:
- Kanlal Parmar, President, Para Sports Association of Gujarat
- Chandulal Bha, Secretary, Para Sports Association of Gujarat
- Dipali Rathi, President, Blind Sports Association of Gujarat
- Sudha K Patel, Committee Member
Dignitaries were felicitated with mementos and scarves.
Special honors went to:
- Kapil Parmar, Judo bronze medalist at the 2024 Paralympics
- Ashwin Makwana, 2022 Asian Para Games medalist
Championship Highlights & Record Breakers
Visually impaired athletes competed in track and field events under the T/F11 (blind) and T/F12–13 (low vision) categories.
Women’s Records
- T-12 Long Jump: Tejal Damor Amraji (Gujarat) – 4.39 m (National & Meet Record)
- T-13 Shot Put: Chetna Galch Ratabhai (Gujarat) – 6.63 m (National & Meet Record)
- T-13 Discus Throw: Chetna Galch Ratabhai – 18.63 m
- T-13 Javelin Throw: Chetna Galch Ratabhai – 25.73 m
- T-12 400m: Tejal Damor Amraji – 1:04.17 s
Men’s Records
- T-12 5000m: Saurabh Sharma (Himachal Pradesh) – 16:26.31 s (Meet Record)
- T-12 400m: Naveen Surla (Andhra Pradesh) – 53.8 s (National & Meet Record)
Team Championship Results
Men’s Categories
- T11 & F11: Tamil Nadu
- T12 & F12: Gujarat
- T13 & F13: Uttarakhand
Women’s Categories
- T11 & F11: Chandigarh
- T12 & F12: Maharashtra
- T13 & F13: Madhya Pradesh
Closing Ceremony
The championship concluded with a valedictory function attended by Ms. Kinnariben Shah, President of Nagar Palika, Nadiad.
Organizers applauded the dedication, sportsmanship, and unity of all participants. The success of the 23rd Usha National Athletics Championship reaffirmed IBSA’s commitment to advancing high-performance sports for the visually impaired in India.
Press Meet & Media Coverage
A pre-event press meet was held on 12th December 2024 at Hotel Centra, Ahmedabad, with over 15 journalists in attendance from leading media outlets such as The Times of India, Divya Bhaskar, DD News Gujarati, Sports 18, and PTI.
The event received extensive media attention, with coverage across 87 print, television, and online platforms.