Japanese coach Meiko Okumatsu and Kenyan coach Dennis Maragia were bitten by stray dogs in two separate incidents while training at the practice track in New Delhi’s JLN Stadium. They are in India for the World Para Athletics Championships. The incident came after the fierce debate regarding strays in the nation's capital.
Social media is furious:
An individual asked, “Protect strays at the cost of humans.” Another person posted, “Embarrassing moment for host nation India.” A third expressed, “People who had nothing to do with the dog problem in Delhi protested against a good solution and disappeared.” A fourth wrote, “Aur zaleel hona hain. All this loss of respect because gated community aunties and uncles can’t live without their resident neighborhood Tommy eating their Parle-G biskoots and biting bystanders.”
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How did the officials react?
The organising committee of the Para Athletics Championships addressed the incidents in a statement. “On August 21, 2025, a formal request was made to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to safeguard the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium by removing stray dogs from the venue. Acting swiftly, the MCD cleared the premises well before the start of the Championships, and dog-catching vehicles have been stationed at the stadium from Day 1 to ensure constant vigilance and immediate response.”
{{/usCountry}}The organising committee of the Para Athletics Championships addressed the incidents in a statement. “On August 21, 2025, a formal request was made to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to safeguard the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium by removing stray dogs from the venue. Acting swiftly, the MCD cleared the premises well before the start of the Championships, and dog-catching vehicles have been stationed at the stadium from Day 1 to ensure constant vigilance and immediate response.”
{{/usCountry}}“Despite these precautionary measures, the challenge of individuals repeatedly feeding stray dogs near the venue has allowed animals to re-enter the premises. Unfortunately, this led to two isolated incidents at the warm-up track on October 3, 2025, with coaches of Japan & Kenya getting bit,” the statement explained.