Kenyan sprint coach Dennis Mwanzo and Japanese assistant coach Mieko Okumatsu were bitten by stray dogs on Friday morning at the warm-up track of Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Stadium. Mwanzo and Okumatsu were rushed to Safdarjung Hospital’s Anti-Rabies Clinic and received treatment. The coaches are in New Delhi for the World Para Athletics Championships, which is currently underway. Social media users are furious over two separate incidents in a single day and have demanded action, with some suggesting that all stray dogs be relocated to shelter homes.

What has happened?

Mwanzo was adjusting athlete Stacey Obonyo’s starting blocks during the 200m warm-up when the incident happened. At first, he thought someone had grabbed his right calf, but he soon realised it was a dog biting him, PulseSport reported.

“At first, I thought someone was holding me, but when I turned, I saw it was a black-and-white dog. I struck it to free myself,” he added. 

Kenya team doctor Michael Okaro raised concerns over dog bite cases. “The incident occurred around 9:30 am in the morning, and Dennis was rushed to the Safdarjung Hospital and was given the rabies vaccine,” Okaro said, before adding that “such incidents are a big sign of worry”. 

The coach claimed that he met two other victims, including a Chinese woman, at the hospital. 

Okumatsu was also bitten in a separate incident on the same day. “I was bitten by a dog in the morning, but thankfully, the medical team disinfected me quickly,” Okumatsu said. Okumatsu was also bitten in the morning during the training session.

How have social media users reacted?

“Pretty scary & embarrassing as host nation,” read one post on social media. Another read, “Horrific! Stray dog bites Japanese, Kenyan coach in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium during World Para Athletics C’ships. Stray dogs and their so-called Dog Lovers, our cities need to get rid of them once and for all.”

A third commented, “Those who ‘allegedly’ love these stray dogs should adopt these dogs, else shut up. The government should give a deadline for the adoption of ‘Pan-India’. Once the deadline is over, the government should move all stray dogs to shelter homes. Period. There shouldn’t be any strays on the road.”

“Protect strays at the cost of humans,” a fifth social media user said.

Catchers called in at JLN Stadium

Following the incident, the Organising Committee has blamed people who feed stray dogs near the JLN Stadium. The MCD has deployed two dog-catching teams inside the stadium premises, along with vehicles to remove and transfer them to shelter homes.

“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,” the statement by the Organising Committee of the championships read.

It added, “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 further said.