New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) The Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, Raksha Nikhil Khadse hailed the successful organization of the Khelo India Para Games (KIPG) 2025 which came to an end here on Thursday. Close to 1300 athletes took part in six para disciplines at three venues in Delhi. Haryana won the team championship ahead of Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
Khadse, who was the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the Khelo India Para Games 2025 at the IG Stadium, said the Indian government was fully committed to promoting para-sports through various initiatives.
“Under the leadership of Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi ji, no stone will be left unturned to support para-athletes,” Raksha Khadse said during the closing ceremony.
She added, “The para-athletes, who won medals in this tournament, have provided immense motivation to everybody. The Khelo India Para Games also saw huge participation from the athletes belonging to the North East states. 18 national records were set, of which 12 were made by women. 400+ women participated in this tournament, and it is heartwarming to see such immense participation from women.
“We are expecting a lot of athletes from Khelo India Para Games 2025 to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics and are hopeful that they will bring a lot of medals,” she was quoted as saying by SAI Media in a release on Thursday.
During the ceremony, which also marked World Accessibility Day, Khadse launched the ‘Handbook on Accessibility of Sports Facilities’ in the presence of former India cricketer Syed Saba Karim, Sminu Jindal of Svayam, the official accessibility partner for Khelo India Para Games, and Mayank Srivastava, Deputy Director General, SAI.
Khadse was all praise for women athletes who participated in the Khelo India Para Games, highlighting that out of the 18 records created at the Games, 12 were created by them. “It only proves that our women have come a long way and they deserve to be supported at all levels,” she said.
The 2nd edition of the Khelo India Para Games was held from March 20–27, 2025, across three venues in New Delhi. The event will feature six sports disciplines: Para Archery, Para Athletics, Para Badminton, Para Table Tennis, Para Powerlifting, and Para Shooting.
–IANS
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