New Delhi: Khelo India Para Games 2025 saw Haryana retain the team championship with 34 gold medals. Tamil Nadu (28 golds) and Uttar Pradesh (23 golds) followed in second and third place. The event, held at three venues in Delhi, featured 1,300 athletes across six sports, highlighting resilience and determination.
18 National Records Set
Eighteen national records were broken. In Para Powerlifting, gold medalists included Jaspreet Kaur (Punjab), Manish Kumar (Haryana), Seema Rani (Punjab), and Jhandu Kumar (Bihar).
ALSO READ: Raksha Khadse at KIPG Closing: Full Support for Para Athletes
In athletics, 14 stars shattered records:
- Dilip Mahadu Gavit (Maharashtra)
- Sharath Makanahalli Shankarappa (Karnataka)
- Manish Kumar (Haryana)
- Manjeet (Haryana)
- Bhavani Munniyandi (Andaman & Nicobar Islands)
- Lalitha Killaka (Andhra Pradesh)
- Khushboo Gill (Tamil Nadu)
- Enbatamizhi S (Tamil Nadu)
- Keerthika Jayachandran (Tamil Nadu)
- Lakshmi (Haryana)
- Usha (Haryana)
- Dolly Gola (Delhi)
- Jaspreet Kaur Sran (Punjab)
- Fatima Khatoon (Uttar Pradesh)
Women shined with 12 records, underlining their rise in para sports.
A total of 596 medals were won:
- Male athletes: 346 medals (110 gold, 109 silver, 127 bronze)
- Female athletes: 250 medals (79 gold, 80 silver, 91 bronze)
Haryana secured 104 medals (34 gold, 39 silver, 31 bronze), nearly matching its 2023 performance of 105 medals.
Team Reactions
Haryanaโs chef-de-mission, Giriraj Singh, credited the Government of India and SAI for supporting para athletes. โKhelo India Para Games is a launchpad for global events like the Paralympics and Commonwealth Games,โ he said.
Tamil Naduโs chef-de-mission, Raja, celebrated his teamโs leap to second place, praising the eventโs organization. Uttar Pradeshโs chef-de-mission, Mudrika Pathak, called KIPG a great platform for grassroots athletes.
Gujarat Dominates Table Tennis
On the final day, Gujarat excelled in table tennis, winning 21 medals (4 gold, 5 silver, 12 bronze). Haryana won 8, including 3 golds.
Veteran Yezdi Aspi Bhamgara (Gujarat) claimed gold in Menโs Class 6, defeating Vikas Thakur (Gujarat) 3-1. โI have been playing since 2005, and this win is a result of years of dedication,โ he said.
Bhavika Kukadiya (Gujarat) secured gold in Womenโs Class 6, beating Jamani Noorali (Gujarat) 3-1. โI never imagined playing sports, but social media inspired me to take up para table tennis. Now, I proudly represent India internationally,โ she shared.
Table Tennis Finals:
- Menโs Class 6: Gold โ Yezdi Aspi Bhamgara (Gujarat)
- Menโs Class 7: Gold โ Sanjeev Hammannavar (Karnataka)
- Womenโs Class 6: Gold โ Bhavika Kukadiya (Gujarat)
- Womenโs Class 7: Gold โ Prachi Pandey (Uttar Pradesh)
- Menโs Class 8: Gold โ Shashidhar Kulkarni (Karnataka)
- Womenโs Class 8: Gold โ Nisha Innani (Telangana)
- Menโs Class 9: Gold โ Dattaprasad Jotiram Chougule (Maharashtra)
- Womenโs Class 9: Gold โ Mehak Kaur (Haryana)
- Menโs Class 10: Gold โ Vishwa Vijay Tambe (Maharashtra)
- Womenโs Class 10: Gold โ Devyani Walhe (Madhya Pradesh)
Khelo India Para Games continues to uplift para athletes, inspiring them for future international competitions.
