IMAGE: Punjab’s Seema Rani registered a record lift of 97 kg in the women’s elite 61 kg category at the Khelo India Para Games 2025. Photograph: SAI Media
The fifth day of the Khelo India Para Games 2025 saw the making of two more national records and both in powerlifting. Punjab’s Seema Rani registered a record lift of 97 kg in the women’s elite 61 kg category while Jhandu Kumar of Bihar lifted 206 kg in the men’s elite 72kg category in New Delhi on Monday.
The Paralympians ruled the roost at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range. Paris 2024 bronze medallist Mona Agarwal struck gold in the Mixed 50m prone SH1 with a score of 243.3. She had already won two silvers in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH 1 and the mixed 10m air rifle prone SH2 categories.
On the penultimate day of para shooting, Rajasthan’s Nihal Singh, who also qualified for Paris Paralympics, was dominant in the mixed 25m pistol SH1 event, retaining his gold from the first edition of the Khelo India Para Games held in December 2023.
160 medals had been decided with Haryana leading the standings with 29 golds. Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan followed with 24 and 22 gold medals, respectively.
The powerlifters have been on song since Sunday. After two records were created by Punjab’s Jaspreet Kaur (45 kg class) and Haryana’s Manish Sharma (54 kg class), Jalandhar’s Seema, who has polio since the age of three, lived up to her billing by winning her second gold in as many Khelo India Para Games.
The 39-year-old Seema started her para powerlifting journey five years ago and
has since represented India in several international tournaments including the World Championships.
Seema told SAI Media; “It feels great to set up the new national record and win gold medals in back-to-back Khelo India Para Games. I thank SAI for making world-class arrangements for athletes because without them it is difficult to focus and compete well.”
Hailing from Bihar, Jhandu Kumar started his powerlifting journey in 2014. The 28-year-old para lifter has still not made his debut for India but hopes to change that soon.
“Khelo India Para Games is a great platform for para athletes. I had won silver earlier in 2023. It feels great to have converted the silver to gold now,” he said.
Results:
PARA SHOOTING
R6 – MIXED 50m Prone SH1 Mixed 25m Pistol SH1
Gold: Mona Agarwal (Rajasthan); Silver: Anandha Krishnan H (Kerala); Bronze: Sachin Siddannavar (Karnataka)
P3 – MIXED 25m Pistol SH1
Gold: Nihal Singh (Rajasthan); Silver: Amir Ahmad Bhat (Jammu & Kashmir); Bronze: Sandeep Kumar (Haryana)
PARA POWER LIFTING
ELITE – 59 KG-
Gold- Gulfam Ahmed (Del); Silver- V Saravanan Vijayan (TN); Bronze- Gaurav (UP)
ELITE – 65 KG-
Gold- Joby Mathew (Ker); Silver- Arvind Makvana (Guj); Bronze- Gadadhar Sahu (Odi)
ELITE – 72 KG-
Gold- Jhandu Kumar (Bihar); Silver- Ramubhai Babubhai Bambhava (Guj); Bronze- Vikram Singh Adhikari (Mah)
ELITE – 55 KG-
Gold- Suman Devi (Har); Silver- Jasmine Michlin Amalorpavam J (TN); Bronze- Bharti Agarwal (UTK)
ELITE – 61 KG-
Gold- Seema Rani (PUN); Silver- Zainab Khatoon (UP); Bronze- M Nathiya (TN)
