India, Sept. 26 -- For all intents and purposes, organising a multi-national event in India is akin to a grand wedding, and the first-ever World Para Athletics Championships is no different. The 12th edition of the championships was declared open by sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday with the venue, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, that now flaunts a freshly laid-out blue Mondo track and a fully refurbished lower tier comprising 10,000 seats.

The revamped warm-up area -- complete with a new Mondo track and an expansive fitness centre that can accommodate 200 people at once -- was inaugurated by Mandaviya ahead of the two-hour opening ceremony. The track in the competition arena was inaugurated on August 29 after a four-month exercise...