Foreign coaches bitten by stray dogs at World Para Athletics Championships in Delhi; safety concerns escalate

Two foreign coaches were bitten by stray dogs at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on October 3 morning, raising serious safety concerns during the 12th World Para Athletics Championships. Kenya’s sprint coach Dennis Mwanzo and Japan’s assistant coach Mieko Okumatsu were attacked while supervising training sessions, prompting urgent medical intervention and renewed scrutiny of Delhi’s stray dog problem.

Kenya team doctor Michael Okaro described the incidents as a “big sign of worry.” “The attack occurred around 9:30 am. Dennis was rushed to Safdarjung Hospital and given the rabies vaccine. At a global event like the World Championships, such incidents are alarming,” Okaro said.

Mwanzo was assisting 200-metre sprinter Stacey Obonyo when a stray dog bit his right calf, while Okumatsu was also bitten during a separate morning session. Both received immediate care at the stadium’s medical facilities before being taken to the hospital for further treatment.

The Organising Committee of the championships pointed fingers at individuals feeding stray dogs near the stadium. In a statement, they said, “Despite Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) clearing the premises and stationing dog-catching teams since the start of the Championships, repeated feeding of strays near the venue allowed animals to re-enter, resulting in these two isolated incidents.”

Delhi has seen a sharp rise in dog bite cases, with over 25,210 incidents reported in 2024, up from 17,847 the previous year. The city’s stray dog population is estimated at eight lakh, highlighting the scale of the challenge.

The Supreme Court of India has previously intervened, ordering in August 2025 that stray dogs be relocated to shelters. However, following protests, the Court softened its directive, allowing sterilized, vaccinated, and dewormed dogs to be returned to their original areas under the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023.

Following the incidents, the MCD strengthened its security measures, deploying two dedicated dog-catching teams permanently inside the stadium and keeping vehicles on standby for rapid removal and transfer of stray animals. Security personnel also chased a stray dog from the mixed zone during the evening session.

India is hosting the World Para Athletics Championships for the first time, with over 1,200 athletes from 104 countries participating. The incidents cast a spotlight on the city’s urban stray animal management challenges ahead of India’s bids for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and 2036 Olympics.