A day after being bitten by a stray dog during training at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kenyan coach Dennis Maragia has expressed his concerns, stating he still feels unsafe despite assurances from the organisers.
The incident occurred on Friday near the warm-up track of the ongoing World Para Athletics Championships. On the same day, a Japanese coach was also bitten in a separate incident.
“After being bitten by the dog, I was rushed to the hospital. I got injected, and now I am fine,” Maragia said.
“We were doing a warm-up and practice. I didn’t notice the dog because it came from behind, but I felt something holding my leg — it was painful. It was a dog holding my leg.”
Maragia is worried about the continuous presence of stray dogs at the venue.
“Even after what happened yesterday, I don’t feel any measures have been taken or the dogs have been moved. I just saw a dog passing by,” he said.
“I requested them to move the dogs. I couldn’t go back to Kenya; I had to take medications. You are in fear once something like that happens to you — you have to have that fear,” he added.
VIDEO | Delhi: Kenya coach Dennis Maragia, who was bitten by a street dog during the World Para Athletics Championship at Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Stadium, says, “After being bitten by the dog, I was rushed to the hospital and given injections. Now I am fine. We were warming up… pic.twitter.com/8xTGRZgFFF
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 4, 2025
Dennis told ANI that he was with his team’s athlete when felt “something touching his leg”. “I have pain in my leg and a little headache…I have been taking water since morning because I thought it was dehydration, but I still have a headache…I was with my athlete for a warm-up. After I clapped for her to go, I felt something touching my leg. I thought it was my physiotherapist. When I turned, I saw a dog, and it was already biting me…When I saw dogs, I thought they were friendly but I came to realise that they are not friendly…When I saw the Japanese Coach, I did not know what happened. Later, she told me she was bitten by a dog,” said Dennis.
#WATCH | Delhi: Kenya's sprint coach Dennis Mwanzo and Japan's assistant coach Mieko Okumatsu were bitten by stray dogs at the warm‑up track of JLN Stadium yesterday.
Dennis Mwanzo says, "I have pain in my leg and a little headache…I have been taking water since morning… pic.twitter.com/VEk2MLnno7
— ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2025
The organisers later announced that two dog-catching teams have been permanently deployed at the venue in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The affected coaches received immediate medical attention and are out of danger.
Dog Menace In Delhi
In August, a formal request was made to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to address the issue of stray dogs within the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium premises. Responding to this request, the MCD had taken steps to remove the stray dogs from the stadium.
On August 22, the Supreme Court directed civic bodies across Delhi-NCR to immediately capture all stray dogs and relocate them to shelters due to serious concerns about public safety and the increasing risk of rabies.
However, the apex court later revised its directive on handling stray dogs, stating that dogs captured under its August 11 order would be released after sterilisation and immunisation, except for those suffering from rabies or displaying aggressive behaviour.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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