KIPG 2025: SAI Gandhinagar Powerlifting Team Claims 10 Medals

New Delhi, March 28 (NationPress) Athletes specializing in powerlifting from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Gandhinagar exhibited an outstanding performance at the second Khelo India Para Games, which concluded on Thursday. The NCOE participants clinched 10 medals, including seven gold, in the para-powerlifting event held at the JLN Stadium complex.

At the forefront 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 shattered national records on their way to securing gold medals. Jhandu, Jaspreet, and Manish each broke their own national records set just a week prior during the nationals in Noida.

Commenting on the impressive results, SAI Gandhinagar’s head powerlifting coach, Rajinder Singh Rahelu, a bronze medallist from the 2004 Summer Paralympics in the 56kg category, told SAI Media, "Just before the Khelo India Para Games, we participated in the national championships where we achieved 12 medals, including eight golds and three national records. This time, we have earned 10 medals, comprising seven golds and three silvers, along with four national records. Overall, we shattered seven national records within a week. The KIPG offers international-level exposure, and now our athletes are free from competition anxiety. They are confident and will continue to excel."

The national record holders were joined on the top podium at the KIPG 2025 by fellow SAI Gandhinagar participants Gulfam Ahmed (59kg), Sandesha BG (80kg), and Paramjeet Kumar (49kg). The silver medallists from the centre included Shiv Kumar (49kg), Ramubhai Babubhai (72kg), and Rahul Jograjiya (88kg).

Established as an NCOE in 2019, SAI Gandhinagar has evolved into India’s leading training facility for para powerlifting. Emphasizing the centre’s gradual advancement over the years, Rahelu stated, "Since I joined SAI Gandhinagar in 2016, we have been consistently improving. By 2022, a steady influx of young athletes began training regularly. The centre has undergone significant transformation in the last 4-5 years."

"Initially, we had only a modern fitness centre, but now we possess a dedicated powerlifting hall equipped with world-class amenities, air conditioning, and Eleiko sets utilized in international competitions. Our recovery facilities also rank among the finest.

“It’s been a steady progression, and SAI Gandhinagar is recognized as India’s premier para powerlifting centre in terms of facilities and equipment that meet international standards,” Rahelu, also an Arjuna Award recipient, explained.

Following the triumph at KIPG 2025, the 51-year-old coach has set higher objectives for his athletes. “Our next target is to secure at least 3-4 medals at the World Championships in Egypt this October. Currently, Paramjeet Kumar is the sole Indian to have won a medal at the World Championships, and he hails from our centre.

“With the Commonwealth and Asian Games approaching next year, we are preparing with complete dedication. We believe that future Paralympic medallists will emerge from this centre, and we have the ability to make history. Our athletes are capable, and they will perform excellently,” Rahelu concluded.