New Delhi, April 30, 2025 — The Cerebral Palsy Sports Federation of India (CPSFI), in collaboration with World Abilitysport, has announced the International Awareness Seminar on Classification in Para Sports, to be held on 29–30 May 2025 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
This two-day event aims to educate and empower the para sports ecosystem in India and South Asia by addressing the urgent need for trained national classifiers — a critical yet missing link in India’s journey towards inclusive and competitive para sports.
Classification is the cornerstone of the Paralympic Movement. It determines which athletes are eligible to compete and ensures that they are grouped appropriately to create a level playing field. It is not the degree of impairment, but athletic skill and training that should decide the outcome. Currently, India lacks a single certified national classifier — resulting in limited access, high costs, and delays in athlete progression. The important objectives of the seminar are to raise awareness of classification systems in para sports, to impart adequate training and developing Indian classifiers at grassroots level, ensuring fair play and reducing dependency on international systems, making the classification process more accessible and cost-effective and above all creating opportunities for doctors, physiotherapists, and rehabilitation experts to become certified classifiers. The seminar is especially relevant for Doctors, physiotherapists, rehabilitation professionals — ideal profiles to become classifiers. Professionals interested in building a career in para sports officiating and international classification are also welcome.
The Attendees who are interested will gain insights into: What classification is and how it works, who can become a classifier and the eligibility criteria, the process of enrollment, training, certification, and career path and opportunities for national and international growth and contribution to para sports. According to the CPSFI President Rajesh Tomar the distinguished Global Experts to be featured are world renowned speakers viz.
Craig Carscadden, , Penny Broomhead, Dr. Halim Jebali and Charmaine Hooper, CEO, World Abilitysport ( All IPC Classifiers)
Their expertise will offer valuable perspectives and guidance on building a sustainable classification framework revealed Tomar while addressing the media.
In addition to Indian delegates, the seminar will host official representatives from Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bangladesh, fostering regional collaboration in the para sports movement said president Tomar.
CPSFI President Rajesh Tomar emphasized, “This seminar fulfills a long-standing goal since our recognition by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports — to promote classification awareness from the grassroots level. Building our own pool of classifiers will lead to fairer competition, eliminate unnecessary costs, and reduce the risk of misclassification.” The Press conference was also addressed by Secretary general Kavita Suresh, Joseph kuok treasurer and Rajendra Kumar Jain vice president and legal advisor of CPFSI. Mr. Rupinder Singh , Commentator and Advisor moderated the event.
Registrations Now Open
Limited seats available. Visit:
👉 https://www.cpsfi.org/seminar
It may be recalled that classification in para sports is the cornerstone of the Paralympic Movement which determines as to which athletes are eligible to compete in a sport and how athletes are grouped together for competition. In Para sports, athletes are grouped by the degree of activity limitation resulting from the impairment. This, to a certain extent, is similar to grouping athletes by age, gender or weight.
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