In a major push to the para-athletics culture in India, the inaugural edition of the Khelo India Para Games in Delhi was concluded successfully at Delhi. Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anurag Thakur dropped down the curtains on the games held from December 10 to December 17, in which over 1450 para-athletes from 32 states and union territories took part across different categories in seven sporting disciplines.
Top performing states in Khelo India Para-games
Star athletes such as archer Sheetal Devi, Discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya, table tennis star Bhavina Patel, Parul Parmar, Nishad Kumar and others participated in the games.
At the closing ceremony, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said, “Today, under these spotlights, we honour not just medals, but the resilient spirits and untold stories that have painted this arena. The Khelo India Para Games 2023 marks a historic chapter in the history of our sport, where participation eclipses mere victory. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, ‘Kheloge toh khiloge.’ These past days have etched moments of unwavering human spirits, forging new milestones, talents emerging, records falling, and prejudices shattered. This is the new India, envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.”
Records at the Khelo India Para-games
The highlights of the game included Pranav Soorma of Haryana bettering his Asian Club throw record of 30.01m with an effort of 33.54m.
International performance of Indian Para-athletes
Indian para-athletes have displayed heroics at the Tokyo Paralympics and Hangzhou Asian Para Games, where the contingent displayed their all-time best performances. The medal tally in Hangzhou crossed 111 medals – 29 gold, 31 silver and 51 bronze.
Sports stars such as MC Mary Kom, Harbhajan Singh, Anju Bobby George, Anjum Moudgil, Manu Bhaker, Viren Rasquinha, and Ajay Jadeja among others made their presence during the games and supported the initiatives to promote the sporting culture among para-athletics.