Leading the charge were Jhandu Kumar (men\u2019s 72kg), Jaspreet Kaur (women\u2019s 45kg), Seema Rani (women\u2019s 61kg) and Manish Kumar (men\u2019s 54kg), all of whom broke national records en route to their gold medal triumphs. The trio of Jhandu, Jaspreet and Manish smashed their own national records created just a week back at the nationals in Noida.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Reflecting on the remarkable performance, SAI Gandhinagar\u2019s head powerlifting coach, Rajinder Singh Rahelu, a bronze medallist at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in the 56kg category, told SAI Media, \"Just before the Khelo India Para Games, we had the national championships where we won 12 medals, including eight golds and three national records. This time, we secured 10 medals, including seven gold and three silver, along with four national records. Broadly, we broke seven national records within a week. The KIPG provides an international-level exposure and now the competition fear is gone for our athletes. They are confident and will keep performing well.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The national record holders were joined on the top podium at the KIPG 2025 by fellow SAI Gandhinagar campers Gulfam Ahmed (59kg), Sandesha BG (80kg) and Paramjeet Kumar (49kg). The silver medallists from the centre were Shiv Kumar (49kg), Ramubhai Babubhai (72kg) and Rahul Jograjiya (88kg).<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Established as an NCOE (National Centre of Excellence) in 2019, SAI Gandhinagar has grown into India\u2019s premier training facility for para powerlifting. Highlighting the centre\u2019s steady progress over the years, Rahelu added, \"Since 2016, when I joined SAI Gandhinagar, we have been steadily improving. By 2022, young athletes started coming regularly for training. The centre has transformed in the last 4-5 years.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Earlier, we had only a modern fitness centre, but now we have a dedicated powerlifting hall equipped with world-class facilities, air conditioning, and Eleiko sets used in international competitions. Our recovery facilities are also among the best.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a consistent step-by-step development and SAI Gandhinagar is India\u2019s No.1 para powerlifting centre in terms of facilities and equipment of international standards,\u201d Rahelu, also an Arjuna Award winner, explained.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With the success at KIPG 2025, the 51-year-old coach has set bigger goals for his wards. \u201cOur next immediate aim is to win at least 3-4 medals at the World Championships in Egypt this October. Currently, Paramjeet Kumar is the only Indian to have won at the World Championships, and he is also from our centre.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a consistent step-by-step development and SAI Gandhinagar is India\u2019s No.1 para powerlifting centre in terms of facilities and equipment of international standards,\u201d Rahelu, also an Arjuna Award winner, explained.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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