Tunis kicks off 2023 World Para Athletics GP

Nearly 300 athletes from 25 countries to take part in the opening event of the season that marks the 10th anniversary of the Grand Prix 03 Feb 2023
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A short-stature woman celebrating with the flag of Tunisia
Tunisian star and six-time Paralympic champion Raoua Tlili celebrating her gold medal in the women's shot put F41 at Tokyo 2020
ⒸOIS/Joel Marklund
By World Para Athletics

Click here to watch the Tunis 2023 World Para Athletics Grand Prix live!

 

The World Para Athletics Grand Prix will kick off in Africa for the first time as the Tunisian capital hosts the Tunis 2023 GP from Monday to Wednesday (6 to 8 February).

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the GP which was launched by World Para Athletics in 2013 (the 2020 season did not take place because of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Here is all you need to know about the Tunis 2023 GP.

Where is it happening?

The Rades Athletics Stadium is located about 10 kilometres south-east of downtown Tunis. It is part of the Rades Olympic Complex which also includes an indoor arena, a swimming pool and a multi-purpose stadium which was built for the 2001 Mediterranean Games.

The athletics venue has hosted all editions of the Tunis GP since the Tunisian capital joined the World Para Athletics calendar in 2014.

How many athletes and nations will be in action?
 
The Tunis 2023 Grand Prix will see around 300 athletes from 25 countries representing Africa (Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia); Asia (India, Iraq, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Uzbekistan); Europe (France, Greece, Romania, Spain, Turkey) and the Americas (Argentina).

Who are the local stars?
 
Tunisia is a Para athletics powerhouse which took 11 medals, four of them gold at the last edition of the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan in 2021.

Men’s T34 wheelchair racer Walid Ktila and women’s F41 thrower Raoua Tlili took two golds each at the Paralympics and will lead the home team in Tunis. Ktila has five and Tlili six Paralympic golds to their names.

What about the visitors?

Malaysia’s three Paralympic champions in Para athletics will be travelling to Tunisia. Abdul Latif Romli is the Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016 gold medallist in the men’s long jump T20.

Mohamad Puzi and Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli are the Rio 2016 champions in the men’s 100m T36 and men’s shot put F20, respectively.

African neighbours Algeria will travel to Tunis with 30 athletes but without their Paralympic champions while the 12-strong Moroccan delegation will be led by Tokyo 2020 men’s shot put F33 gold medallist Zakariae Derhem.

Kenya will be represented by 29 athletes and among them will be three-time Paralympic champion T11 runner Samwel Kimani. Spain is another guest coming with a Paralympic gold medallist, Tokyo 2020 men’s 5000m T13 winner Yassine Ouhdadi El Ataby. 

Where can I follow the Tunis GP?

Schedule and results are available here. The Grand Prix will be streamed live on the Tunisian Paralympic Committee (NPC Tunisia) Facebook page

What is the next stop in the Grand Prix season?

Dubai, United Arab Emirates will be the next stop of the 2023 GP. The event will take place from 26 February to 1 March at the Dubai Club for the People of Determination, the venue of the 2019 Para Athletics World Championships.

Any other information I should know?

All events that will be featured on the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games programme were available for entries at Tunis 2023, making the Grand Prix an important of the preparations for both this year’s World Championships and next year’s Paralympics in the French capital.

Complete results of the Tunis 2023 Grand Prix will be available on the World Para Athletics website.