 National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Gandhinagar put up a strong show in the Khelo India Para Games.){kind=link}
Powerlifting athletes from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Gandhinagar put up a strong show in the Khelo India Para Games. This second edition concluded in Delhi on Thursday, March 27. The NCOE campers secured 10 medals, including seven golds 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.
The Khelo India Mission
‘Khelo India Para Games’ is part of the Khelo India mission to provide a platform for talented athletes to showcase their sporting and competitive skills. The 1st edition of Khelo India Para Games, held in December 2023, was organized in seven sports disciplines across three venues in New Delhi. The second edition of KIPG were held at three venues in the capital between March 20-27, 2025. Competition took place in six sports.
Reflecting on the remarkable performance, SAI Gandhinagar’s head powerlifting coach, Rajinder Singh Rahelu, a bronze medalist at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in the 56 kg category, told, “Just before the Khelo India Para Games, we had the national championships where we won 12 medals, including 8 gold and 3 national records.
This time, it secured 10 medals, including 7 gold and 3 silver, along with 4 national records. Broadly, it broke 7 national records within a week. The KIPG provides an international-level exposure, and now the competition fear is gone for these athletes. They are confident and will keep performing well.
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 medalists from the center were Shiv Kumar (49kg), Ramubhai Babubhai (72kg), and Rahul Jograjiya (88kg).
Established as an NCOE (National Centre of Excellence) in 2019, SAI Gandhinagar has grown into India’s premier training facility for para powerlifting. Highlighting the center’s 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 center has transformed in the last 4-5 years.
Earlier, we had only a modern fitness center, 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.
It’s been a consistent step-by-step development and SAI Gandhinagar is India’s No.1 para powerlifting center in terms of facilities and equipment of international standards,” Rahelu, also an Arjuna Awardee, explained.
With the success at KIPG 2025, the 51-year-old coach has set bigger goals for his wards. “Our 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 medal at the World Championships, and he is also from SAI center.
“With the Commonwealth and Asian Games coming up next year, we are gearing up with full dedication. We believe future Paralympic medalists will emerge from SAI center, and we have the potential to create history. Our athletes are capable, and they will do well”.
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