After the usual awe associated with the overwhelming size of an athletics arena is overcome and the gaze shifts to a panoramic mode, the refurbished venue of the World Para Athletics Championships (WPAC) — the Jawaharlal Nehru [JLN] Stadium in the national capital — captures attentions for one more reason, the Mondo track. 

Besides India hosting such a large scale tournament with over 2200 athletes and officials from 104 nations competing across 186 medal events, the light blue carpet-type surface of the Mondo track — replacing the customary red tartan track — has made a lot of news. But that’s just one aspect of the Rs 100 crore-plus that the central government has spent in redoing the JLN Stadium, marking the event as one of its top priorities to enhance the country’s sporting resume.