Haryana retain Khelo India Para Games team championship, Tamil Nadu emerge runners-up, Uttar Pradesh take third spot

After eight days of intense sporting action, the second edition of the Khelo India Para Games (KIPG) came to a close on Thursday with Haryana once again finishing on top of the team standings with 34 gold medals. Tamil Nadu (28 golds) and Uttar Pradesh (23 golds) finished second and third, respectively in the overall standings.

Featuring close to 1300 athletes, competing across six sporting disciplines at three venues in New Delhi – Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium and Karni Singh Shooting Range – Khelo India Para Games 2025 witnessed truly memorable moments, highlighting endurance, unyielding spirit, and the power of human will to overcome any challenges.

Eighteen national records were created in KIPG 2025 with Jaspreet Kaur (Punjab), Manish Kumar (Haryana), Seema Rani (Punjab), and Jhandu Kumar (Bihar) winning gold medals in Para Powerlifting.

Additionally, 14 track and field athletes Dilip Mahadu Gavit (Maharashtra), Sharath Makanahalli Shankarappa (Karnataka), Manish Kumar (Haryana), Manjeet (Haryana), Bhavani Munniyandi (Andaman & Nicobar Islands), Lalitha Killaka (Andhra Pradesh), Khushboo Gill (Tamil Nadu), Enbatamizhi S (Tamil Nadu), Keerthika Jayachandran (Tamil Nadu), Lakshmi (Haryana), Usha (Haryana), Dolly Gola (Delhi), Jaspreet Kaur Sran (Punjab), and Fatima Khatoon (Uttar Pradesh) also broke national records.

With 12 female competitors breaking national records, KIPG 2025 highlighted the growth of women athletes in India in para sports. A total of 596 medals (189 gold, 189 silver, 218 bronze) were distributed by the end of the tournament with 346 medals (110 gold, 109 silver, 127 bronze) won by male athletes and female athletes taking home a total of 250 medals (79 gold, 80 silver, 91 bronze).

Like the first KIPG held in December 2023, Haryana once again dominated with a total of 104 medals (34 gold, 39 Silver, and 31 Bronze). In the inaugural edition Haryana had won 105 medals (40 gold, 39 Silver and 26 Bronze).

KIPG 2025 final day highlights

On the final day of the Games on Thursday, Gujarat dominated the table tennis competition at the Indira Gandhi Stadium where the closing ceremony was held. Gujarat won 21 medals, including four golds, five silvers and 12 bronze. Haryana won a total of eight, with three golds.

The 50-year-old Yezdi Aspi Bhamgara from the state finished with the gold medal, defeating Gujarat’s Vikas Thakur 3-1 in the Men’s Class 6 category. Yezdi, who has been playing the sport for 40 years, and had cerebral palsy since birth said, "I have been a para table tennis since 2005. But, I used to play able bodied table tennis as well. Winning the gold medal here feels good because I have worked hard for to reach this stage. I practice for three to four hours every day, because of which I am here.

“The Khelo India Para Games is very important because all the medal winners now know what it takes to make it to the podium. And this helps to prepare them for the international stage. To win these medals we sacrifice a lot, and stay away from our families.”

The 29-year-old Bhavika Kukadiya from Surat, Gujarat, who suffers from cerebral palsy, also defeated Gujarat's Jamani Nirjahan Noorali 3-1 in Women's Class 6 to win gold.