Preethi Pal is fresh from her double–bronze–winning campaign at the Paris 2024 Paralympics,and she is already gearing up for another career-defining moment at the World Para Athletics Championships on home soil in New Delhi. As one of India’s flagbearers and leading medal hopes, Preeti is more than ecstatic to compete in front of the home crowd and add more medals to her cabinet. In an exclusive conversation, she opens up about her full–circle moment, the significance of competing on home ground, the honour of receiving the Arjuna Award and being felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the growing visibility of para sport in India.
How are you feeling about competing in front of the home crowd at the Para World Championships after a successful Paralympics campaign?
Preethi: We’re all feeling really proud that the World Championships is being hosted in India. My first medal was at the World Championships in Japan. It’s almost a full–circle moment. The tournament where I won my first international medal is now being held in my home country. Not only that, this ground is my home ground and it now has a newly built Mondo track. I remember the days we would go to international tournaments in other countries and dream of practicing on a Mondo track. Now that dream is a reality, because we don’t have to wait for international tournaments to practice on a Mondo track.
How is the preparation for the Championships going?
Preethi: The preparation is really good. But you never know what might happen on the day of the competition. But I will try to get my personal best at the Championships.
What do the Arjuna Award and the felicitation by Prime Minister Modi mean to you personally? You showed me that your lockscreen and wallpaper are pictures of those moments. Why are they so special to you?
Preethi: That feeling is the best feeling in the world. Whenever an athlete wins a medal,they’re eagerly awaiting the call from the Prime Minister and the felicitation ceremony. I was feeling extremely proud, and I really enjoyed the conversation that I had with him.
Have you seen a huge transformation in the visibility that Para sports has garnered in India post the Indian contingent’s success at the 2024 Paris Paralympics?
Preethi: Not many knew about Para sport in the country, but now things have changed. Kids come up to me and ask me about para sports and the country talks about us. I’m sure there will be a good crowd at the Championships as well. People back in my village are saying that they want to come to Delhi to watch me compete. Although, I haven’t told them what day or time I’m competing because deep down somewhere, I don’t want to disappoint them. I will invite them all to come and watch me once I’ve won a medal.
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