NEW DELHI, March 20: Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday inaugurated the second edition of the Khelo India Para Games here and lauded the country’s para-athletes for showing steely resolve despite the many challenges they face.
Over 1300 athletes will compete for the top honours in the Games that will conclude on March 27. Participants include several high-profile para-athletes like Paris Paralympics gold-medallist archer Harvinder Singh, club thrower Dharambir, and Khel Ratna-winning high Jumper Praveen Kumar.
“Khelo India slowly and steadily established its importance. Today when I am here witnessing these athletes, I see the fire in their eyes, I see the belief. It is indeed in the right direction,” Mandaviya said during the opening ceremony of the Games here.
“It has made the nation believe, it has made the PM believe that these games, the platform has enabled us to showcase our talent and we will not disappoint anyone,” he added.
Mandaviya cited India’s Paris Paralympics performance to highlight the progress made in para-sports. India won 29 medals in the French capital last year, including seven gold, nine silver and 13 bronze medals.
“The biggest example of it is the Paris Paralympics performance of these athletes. These athletes may have seen something taken away from them but they have never let it stop them,” Mandaviya said referring to the often tragic circumstances that have resulted in disability for the athletes.“I want to wish everyone good luck, do well. I now declare the Khelo India Para Games 2025 open,” the minister added.
The event started with Paris bronze-medallist sprinter Simran Sharma, who is partilally blind, Khel Ratna awardee Praveen Kumar, Paris gold-winning shuttler Nitesh Kumar, and two-time Paralympics medal-winning runner Preethi Pal handing over the Games torch to the sports minister.
Sumit Antil, Devendra Jhajharia tell athletes to take advantage
Two of India’s most celebrated Paralympians – Sumit Antil and Devendra Jhajharia – welcomed 1300-plus athletes to the Khelo India Para Games, the second edition of which begins at the Capital on Thursday.
The Games will be played across three venues – Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, IG Stadium and the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range – till March 27.KIPG 2025 will be held in six disciplines — para athletics, para archery, para powerlifting, para badminton, para table tennis and para shooting. In the presence of over 1300 athletes, 350 support staff and 150 volunteers, the opening ceremony will officially will be held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Thursday evening.
Jhajharia and Antil are global superstars. Jhajharia won two Paralympic golds in javelin before Antil repeated that feat. Both para stars were unanimous in their view that the Khelo India Para Games have added a new dimension to India’s sporting upliftment.
Jhajharia, currently the president of the Paralympic Committee of India, explained how Khelo India Para Games 2025 will impact the performance of Indian athletes at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. Indians won a record 29 medals (nine golds) at the 2024 Paris Games.
The first KIPG made Jagdish Parmar a household name. The visually impaired long jumper from Gujarat, who produced a 4.59-metre jump to strike gold in the T11-13 category, attracted a lot of attention. He is returning to KIPG 2025.
“It felt great to be recognised. Someone I knew sent me the video, and when I saw it, I was very touched. Among so many players, I was recognised for my achievements. It has motivated me to perform even better and I am eager to return to the tournament once again this year. I am confident, I will perform even better,” Parmar said. (Agencies)
