Curtains came down on the first-ever Khelo India Para Games, as Haryana bagged top honours with a total of 105 medals including 40 gold, 39 silver and 26 bronze medals.
Finishing second was Uttar Pradesh, with a total of 62 medals, including 25 gold, 23 silver and 14 bronze.
Tamil Nadu finished third with 20 gold, eight silver and 14 bronze medals.
The Games witnessed star para-athletes who were fresh from their Asian Para Games success in Hangzhou, China. The likes of armless archer Sheetal Devi, discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya, table tennis star Bhavina Patel, Parul Parmar, and Nishad Kumar, among several others, there were also some heart-warming performances by upcoming stars who defied physical limitations to finish on the podium.
Hailing the efforts of the participants, Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and Information and Broadcasting said, “Today, under these spotlights, we honour not just medals, but the resilient spirit and untold stories that have painted this arena,” he said.
“The Khelo India Para Games 2023 marks a historic chapter in our sport’s history, where participation eclipses mere victory. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, ‘Kheloge toh khiloge.’ These past days have etched moments of unwavering human spirit, forging new milestones, talents emerging, records falling, and prejudices shattered. This is the new India, envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Thakur added.
Rajesh T of Tamil Nadu, Sandeep Dangi of Haryana, Tulika Jadhao of Maharashtra, and Ashmita of Assam are some of the names that stood out for their incredible grit and determination.
The Games also witnessed an Asian record being bettered by Pranav Soorma of Haryana, who improved his Asian Para Games gold medal-winning performance of 30.01 with an effort of 33.54 metres in the club throw event. He improved the Asian record of 31.09m held by Dharambir.
Sports superstars like Mary Kom, Harbhajan Singh, Anju Bobby George, Anjum Moudgil, Manu Bhaker, Viren Rasquinha, and Ajay Jadeja, among others, made their presence felt at the victory ceremonies to honour the efforts of the para-athletes and also lauded the Government of India and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for introducing para games in their flagship Khelo India events.
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The action on the final day also saw Kerala clinch a 7-0 win against Tamil Nadu in CP football with Sijo George scoring 3 goals while 4 goals were scored by Mohammed Ajnas.
In table tennis, Sumit Sehgal of Haryana defeated Ramesh Chaudhary of Gujarat 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-8) in the final of the men’s Class-4 category to clinch the gold medal.
Over 1450 para-athletes from 32 states and Union Territories participated in the prestigious Khelo India Para Games, which saw events in seven disciplines.
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