Khelo India Para Games: Powerlifting athletes from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Gandhinagar put up a strong show in the second Khelo India Para Games which concluded on Thursday. The NCOE campers secured 10 medals, including seven gold, in the para-powerlifting competition held at the JLN Stadium complex.
Leading the charge were Jhandu Kumar (men’s 72kg), Jaspreet Kaur (women’s 45kg), Seema Rani (women’s 61kg) and Manish Kumar (men’s 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.
Reflecting on the remarkable performance, SAI Gandhinagar’s 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."
