Salum Ageze Kashafali lit up the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday, storming to a world record in the men’s 100m T12 on the second day of the World Para Athletics Championships 2025 in New Delhi.
The powerful Norwegian clocked 10.42 seconds to claim his third World Championships gold, adding to his triumph at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, where he had also produced a record-breaking sprint.
Kashafali’s journey to the top has been anything but ordinary. Born in Congo in 1993, his family – which included six siblings – fled the civil war, moving first to Rwanda, then to a refugee camp in Tanzania, before finally settling in Norway in 2003. He was 10.
“Norway was a totally different experience for me. It felt like we came to safety; we could go to school, we could pursue an athletics career. It was a whole different world altogether,” he added.
But early life in Norway was far from smooth. “There was a lot of racism in the school. We got beaten up by our schoolmates. We were asked to leave the country. To them we didn’t belong there.
“All this happened in Vadso and then we raised a request that either move us to a different city or we will go back to Congo. They accepted our request and then we moved to Bergen where things were better,” Kashafali said.
At 22, his career seemed over when Stargardt’s disease, a genetic disorder, stole most of his sight. Stargardt disease is an inherited eye condition that causes progressive vision loss, usually starting in childhood or early adulthood.
After a dark spell, he rebuilt himself in para-athletics — and has been rewriting history ever since.
Kashafali, first time in India, admitted he was so moved by the hospitality of Indian people. “There is a lot of positive vibes in India. People are friendly. It pretty much feels like home, I mean Congo. In Norway, people keep to themselves but in Congo, it’s like India, people are friendly and willing to help each other,” he said.
He also lauded the New Delhi venue. “It’s one of the best stadiums I have seen. Food is very flavourful. Delhi is a bit hot, but overall, it’s been a very pleasant experience.”
Looking ahead, Kashafali plans to return to Congo after the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028. For now, though, he remains the man to beat – and the star of New Delhi.