Tunis 2025 GP Preview: Tlili, Ktila and Maroua headline strong home side

After some exciting contests across different continents, the World Grand Prix arrives in Tunis for its penultimate event with Para athletes aiming for taking the ticket to the World Championships in New Delhi, this September.

While most of the regular top names are missing out in Tunis but still the total of 390 athletes from 55 nations make it a competitive field at the three-day competition to be held at the Olympic Athletics Stadium – Rades. 

Home stars

As is often the case in championships, the host nation will field the largest contingent (36), led by its Paralympic icons who are set to spearhead the home challenge at the Tunis Grand Prix.

Seven-time Paralympic champion Raoua Tlili is the biggest star in the home side and will be competing in the women's discus throw F41 and women’s shot put F41 events, in which she has two gold medals at Paris 2024.

Tlili will be joined in the other Paralympic greats like Walid Ktila, the five-time Paralympic champion who will be competing in one event - men’s 100m T34. He had to settle for the silver in the event, in Paris.  

Four-time Paralympic champion Ibrahmi Maroua will be another star to watch out for in the home side. Maroua will be competing in women's discus throw and women’s club throw F32 – an event she picked up the gold in Paris. 

Other Paris 2024 medallists competing over the next three days are Amen Allah Tissaoui (gold medallist in men's 1500 m T38 and bronze medallist in men's 400 m T37), Wajdi Boukhili (gold medallist in men's 5000 m T12), Ahmed Ben Moslah (silver medallist in men's shot put F37) and Rouay Jebabli (silver medallist in men's 1500 m T13 and bronze medallist in men's 400 m T12).

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International names

India (25), China (24) an Uzbekistan (24) will follow the home team in bringing the largest contingents to Tunis.

India will be missing out some of its biggest names; but the squad still have athletes like Preeti Pal, the double bronze medallist in women’s 100m T35 and women’s 200m T35 events, at Paris 2024. Pal also had made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win two medals in track and field events at a Paralympic Games.

In the men’s events, which will have several regional champions, Sachin Sarjerao Khilari will lead the charge in men’s shot put F46 - he had claimed the silver at Paris. 

Likewise, Uzbekistan arrived in Tunis with only a few medallists from Paris 2024 including Bobirjon Omonov , the gold medallist in men's shot put F41. 

The team, which have several little-known names keen on securing the minimum entry standards for this September’s World Championships, will also have Kubaro Khakimova, the silver medallist in women's discus throw F41.

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Regional medallists

China will be relying on their regional medallists with Kobe 2024 Worlds silver medallist in Wenhao Gong (men's 100 m T34) and Asian Para Games gold medallist Qian Zao (women's shot put F33) among the top names in their side. 

Other regional stars included Gaiting Shi (women's shot put and javelin F46), Yunfei Jiang (women's 200m and 400m T46) among others. 

Among other Asian nations, Kuwait will have Paris 2024 champion Faisal Sorour competing in a different classification - men's shot put F42 and men's discus throw F42. He won the gold in Paris 2024 in men's shot put F63.

Indonesia arrived in the African nation with all two of their silver medallists at Paris 2024 – Purnomo Saptoyogo (men's 100m T37) and Karisma Evi Tiarani (women's 100m T42) who would be aiming to get pull off some good results ahead of the World Championships.    

From the Americas, Cuba will have a strong presence with two out of their six gold medallist from the Paris 2024 Games to be in action in Tunisia. Two-time Paralympic champion Robiel Yankiel Sol Cervantes will be competing in men's long jump T46 while Guillermo Varona Gonzalez will take part in men's javelin F46 event.

Venezuala will rest their medal hopes on Luis Felipe Rodriguez Bolivar who took the men's 400 m T20 gold in Paris 2024.

Strong neighbours 

Tunisia’s neighbour Algeria will be fielding 14 Para athletes with seasoned star and three-time Paralympic medallist Safia Djelal the biggest name in their ranks. Djelal will compete in women’s discus throw and women's shot put F57 event, in which she took a gold medal at Paris 2024 Paralympics. 

Paris 2024 bronze medallist Ahmed Mehideb will also be in action in men's club throw F32.    

Another African nation, Morocco will have a strong representation of Paris 2024 medallist in their 15-member team and gold medallist in men’s 400 m T47 Aymane El Haddaoui will lead the charge. El Haddaoui also has a bronze in men’s 100m T47 and will be competing in both the events in Tunis.

Other Paris 2024 medallists in the Morrocan side are Azeddine Nouiri (men's shot put F34), Zakariae Derhem (men's shot put F33), Abdelillah Gani (men's shot put F53) and Youssra Karim (women's discus throw F41).

How to follow?

The Tunis 2025 Grand Prix can be followed live on World Para Athletics social media channels.

More information and the complete calendar of the 2025 World Para Athletics Grand Prix can be found here.