Sports Guide · How sport works · Paralympics, Special Olympics & Deaflympics
Paralympics, Special Olympics and Deaflympics — sport for every body
Education Margdarshan's plain guide for players with a disability and their families: the three big world events and who each one is for, how classification puts players into fair groups, how many take part, how India has done, and the same government cash awards and jobs that Olympians get.
01 Three different events
Paralympics, Special Olympics and Deaflympics are not the same
Who each event is for [1][8][9][11]
| Event | For players with | Run by |
|---|---|---|
| Paralympic Games | A physical impairment, a vision impairment or an intellectual impairment that fits the sport's rules | International Paralympic Committee (IPC); in India, the Paralympic Committee of India |
| Special Olympics | An intellectual disability — year-round training and games for children and adults | Special Olympics (founded 1968) |
| Deaflympics | Hearing loss of at least 55 dB in the better ear | International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) |
The Paralympics began on 29 July 1948, when Dr Ludwig Guttmann held the Stoke Mandeville Games for 16 injured servicemen and women in wheelchairs — in archery. [5]
02 The Paralympic Games
How big the Paralympics are
Paris 2024 Paralympic Games [2]
| What | Number |
|---|---|
| Players | Around 4,400 (a record) |
| Teams | 169 — 168 national committees, a Refugee Paralympic Team and neutral athletes |
| Medal events | 549 in 22 sports |
| Women | 1,983 (45%), and 235 women's events |
- LA28 Paralympics: 23 sports and 560 medal events, from 15 to 27 August 2028. Para climbing is new. [3][4]
- The Asian Para Games 2026 are on right now in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan (18–24 October 2026): around 3,000 players from 45 countries in 18 para sports. India won a record 111 medals (29 gold) at the last edition in Hangzhou.
- At the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, six para sports were fully part of the programme. [8][7]
03 Fair groups
Classification — how players are put into fair groups
Classification groups players whose impairment affects the sport in a similar way, so that skill and training decide the winner — not the impairment. It works like weight classes in judo or age groups in a marathon. [1]
The seven eligible impairments (IPC) [1]
| Type | Simple meaning |
|---|---|
| Impaired muscle power | Muscles cannot push or pull with full force (for example after a spinal cord injury) |
| Impaired passive range of movement | A joint cannot move through its full range |
| Limb deficiency or limb length difference | Part or all of a limb is missing, or limbs are of different lengths |
| Short stature | Shorter body length because the bones of the arms and legs are shorter |
| Coordination impairment | Movements are hard to control smoothly |
| Vision impairment | Reduced or no sight, even with the best glasses |
| Intellectual impairment | Limits in thinking and understanding skills |
- The impairment must be permanent and caused by a health condition. You will be asked for medical (diagnostic) papers.
- Each sport sets its own minimum impairment criteria — so you may be eligible in one sport and not in another.
- Trained classifiers test you, usually in the days before an international event. You can bring one support person, and each sport has a protest process if you disagree.
- First step: contact your National Paralympic Committee or the national federation of your sport. [1]
04 Special Olympics
Special Olympics — for players with an intellectual disability
- Special Olympics runs year-round sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in 193 countries.
- About 5.5 million athletes take part, helped by over 1.1 million coaches and volunteers, in more than 30 Olympic-type sports. [9]
At the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2025 in Turin, Italy, India won 33 medals — 8 gold, 18 silver and 7 bronze. [10]
05 Deaflympics
Deaflympics — for deaf players
- To play, your hearing loss must be at least 55 dB (average in the better ear). Levels between 55 and 65 dB are checked carefully.
- Hearing aids and outer cochlear-implant parts are not allowed during warm-up and competition — using sound amplification would be an unfair advantage.
- A player who does not meet the 55 dB rule is declared ineligible and cannot send a new hearing test for two years. [11]
At the 25th Summer Deaflympics in Tokyo (2025), India won a record 20 medals — 9 gold, 7 silver, 4 bronze — and finished 6th. [12]
06 Support, awards and jobs
The same respect — and the same money
Government cash award for a medal (₹ lakh) [13]
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralympic Games (Summer & Winter) | 75 | 50 | 30 |
| Para Asian Games | 30 | 20 | 10 |
| Commonwealth Games (para events) | 30 | 20 | 10 |
| Deaflympics | 20 | 14 | 8 |
| Special Olympics World Games | 20 | 14 | 8 |
- India's Paralympic medals went from 4 at Rio 2016 to 19 at Tokyo 2020 and 29 at Paris 2024.
- TOPS supports para athletes too: as of April 2026 it had 52 Para Core athletes. The Khelo India Para Games began in 2023. [7]
- For central government sports-quota jobs, the DoPT list of 65 sports includes para sports (those in the Paralympics and Para Asian Games) and deaf sports. [14]
07 Quick doubts
Straight answers
My child has an intellectual disability. Paralympics or Special Olympics?
Both can be possible. Special Olympics is built for people with intellectual disabilities and runs year-round training. The Paralympics include intellectual impairment only in sports whose rules allow it, after classification — ask the national federation of the sport. [9][1]
Can I wear my hearing aid at the Deaflympics?
No. Hearing aids and outer cochlear-implant parts must come off before warm-up and stay off during competition. [11]
08 Official sources & verification
Where these facts come from
Every fact on this Education Margdarshan page is taken from an official body's own file or a Government of India document below, read on 18 October 2026. Numbers, dates and rules change — open the current file before you act on it.
- International Paralympic Committee — Classification (opens in a new tab) Purpose of classification, seven eligible impairments, minimum impairment criteria, sport-specific systems, evaluation sessions, protests, contacting the NPC · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
- International Paralympic Committee — Paris 2024: Record number of delegations and females to compete (opens in a new tab) ~4,400 athletes, 169 delegations, 549 medal events in 22 sports, 1,983 women, 235 women's events · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
- International Paralympic Committee — LA28 Paralympic medal event programme and athlete quotas (opens in a new tab) 23 sports, 560 medal events, para climbing, 15–27 August 2028 · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- LA28 — 2028 Paralympic Games Plan (opens in a new tab) Every LA28 Paralympic sport · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- PIB / MYAS — India's Paralympic Story: A Tale of Inspiration and Achievement (9 Sep 2024) (opens in a new tab) Origins of the Paralympics (Stoke Mandeville, 1948) · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
- PIB — Year End Review 2024: Department of Sports (20 Dec 2024) (opens in a new tab) India's 29 medals (7 gold, 9 silver, 13 bronze) and 18th place at the Paris 2024 Paralympics · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
- PIB — The Making of a Sporting Nation (27 Jul 2026) (opens in a new tab) Paralympic medals Rio–Tokyo–Paris, TOPS Para Core athletes (April 2026), Khelo India Para Games since 2023, six para sports at Glasgow 2026 · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
- PIB Factsheet — Asian Games 2026: India's Journey from New Delhi to Aichi-Nagoya (6 Oct 2026) (opens in a new tab) Asian Para Games 2026 (18–24 Oct, ~3,000 athletes, 45 NPCs, 18 sports), Paralympic Committee of India, India's 111 medals at Hangzhou · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
- Special Olympics — Frequently Asked Questions (opens in a new tab) Who it is for, 5.5 million athletes, 1.1 million coaches and volunteers, 193 countries, founded 1968, 30+ sports · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
- All India Radio News — India conclude Special Olympics Winter Games with 33 medals including 8 gold (opens in a new tab) India's 33 medals at the Special Olympics World Winter Games, Turin · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
- International Committee of Sports for the Deaf — Audiogram Regulations (opens in a new tab) 55 dB PTA rule, 55–65 dB cross-check, ban on hearing aids and external cochlear-implant parts, two-year wait after a failed audiogram · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
- All India Radio News — PM Modi, HM Amit Shah congratulate Indian Deaflympians for record 20-medal haul (opens in a new tab) India's 20 medals (9 gold) and 6th place at the 25th Summer Deaflympics, Tokyo 2025 · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
- MYAS — Scheme of Cash Incentive to Medal Winners (amended 1 Feb 2025) (opens in a new tab) Para-sports and diverse-ability award tables (Paralympics, Para Asian Games, CWG para, Deaflympics, Special Olympics World Games) · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
- DoPT — Instructions on Recruitment/Promotion for Sportspersons (18 Nov 2022) (opens in a new tab) 65-sport list incl. Para Sports (Paralympic and Para Asian Games disciplines) and Deaf Sports · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
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