Para Judo in India — Academies, Trials, Schemes & Athletes

Reviewed profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and FAQs on this page are compiled by hand from federation, government and press reporting, drawing on Olympics.com — India's Paralympic medallists, News on Air — Kapil Parmar's historic judo bronze, ESPN — Every medal won by India at the Paralympics, Paralympic Committee of India. These are not cited to individual documents: we hold no per-claim source for them, so treat dates, counts and career records here as a summary rather than a reference. Sections we hold nothing for are left empty. Sport pages last reviewed as a set: September 2026.

Overview

Origin: Paralympic sport since Seoul 1988
Category: Para
Olympic discipline: No
Paralympic discipline: Yes
Central pathway: TOPS eligible
Athlete profiles on SportSupport: 0

Governance and status

Each field below is shown only where we hold a source for it; anything else reads “Not currently verified” rather than a guess. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition is granted year by year, so it is only ever shown with the year it applies to. Last reviewed: September 2026.

Indian governing/organising body: Paralympic Committee of India
Ministry recognition: Paralympic Committee of India — Annual recognition renewed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — as at 2026Source: Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — List of recognised National Sports Federations
International federation: Not currently verified
Khelo India inclusion: Not currently verified
TOPS eligibility: In scope — TOPS covers Paralympic medal prospects
Olympic status: Not on the Olympic programme
Paralympic status: On the Paris 2024 Paralympic programme (Para Judo)Source: International Paralympic Committee — Paris 2024 Paralympic Games — sports (2024)

Para Judo is listed on SportSupport in the para category. Its recorded origin is Paralympic sport since Seoul 1988. Para disciplines are contested at the Paralympic Games, not the Olympic Games. Para Judo was on the Paris 2024 Paralympic programme. (Source: International Paralympic Committee — Paris 2024 Paralympic Games — sports: https://www.paralympic.org/paris-2024/sports) We list Paralympic Committee of India as the Indian governing/organising body for the sport.

Para Judo is on the pathway that runs through India's national sports federations to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), with selection running through Paralympic Committee of India against its published benchmarks. Being on this pathway is not itself a statement that the discipline is currently in TOPS — TOPS covers a Core Group and a Development Group chosen by the Mission Olympic Cell.

Scholarships & Funding

Central, state and private scholarships available for para judo athletes in India.

Khelo India Talent Identification & Development (KITID)
Monthly stipend (₹10,000 for selected Khelo India athletes), boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for talent identified through the Khelo India selection process (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports). Applies only to disciplines on the official Khelo India Games list, and only to athletes it selects.
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
Central government scheme covering training, foreign exposure, equipment and an out-of-pocket allowance (up to ₹50,000/month) for athletes inducted by the Mission Olympic Cell. TOPS covers a Core Group and a Development Group of disciplines rather than every Olympic sport, and induction is decided athlete by athlete; we hold no current list confirming whether para judo is among the covered disciplines.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment. Allocations are made case by case; we hold no record of NSDF support specific to para judo.
Pension for Meritorious Sportspersons
Lifetime monthly pension (₹20,000 for Olympic/World/Asian/CWG medallists; scaled by tier) for retired internationals who meet the scheme's medal criteria — Government of India.

Explore all government schemes →

Indian Players

No profiles yet

No athlete profiles are recorded for para judo yet. We only list athletes we can source, so this section stays empty until verifiable profiles exist.

Browse the full athlete directory →

Rules

Contested by athletes with visual impairment. From Paris 2024 there are two classes — J1 for athletes who are blind, and J2 for those with partial vision. Contests begin with both judoka already holding their grips, removing the need to see the opponent before engaging, and the referee re-establishes grips whenever they break. Bouts run four minutes and are decided by ippon, waza-ari or penalties, with golden score if scores are level. J1 athletes wear a red circle on the sleeve so officials and opponents can identify the class.

Authoritative rulebook: Paralympic Committee of India. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.

Positions

Typical roles across para sports. These are category-level descriptions, not a sourced para judo squad list.

Competitor
Athlete who takes part in the para judo event under Paralympic Committee of India rules.
Coach
Federation-certified coach responsible for training and match-day decisions.
Match official
Referee, umpire or judge who officiates the event.

Equipment

Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in para judo at a federation-recognised event.

Judogi (blue and white)
Tatami mat
Red circle sleeve marking for J1 athletes
Belt denoting grade

Governing/organising body

Body listed on SportSupport

Paralympic Committee of India

Paralympic Committee of India is the body we list as the Indian governing/organising body for Para Judo. Its recognition status as we hold it: Annual recognition renewed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (as at 2026). Recognition is granted year by year, so read the federation profile for the source.

Origin: Paralympic sport since Seoul 1988
Olympic: No
Paralympic: Yes
Category: Para

PCI profile →All federations →

Major Indian Events

Domestic competitions we hold a source for in para judo.

National Para Judo Championships
Run under the Paralympic Committee of India in the J1 and J2 visual impairment classes, and the route to IBSA Judo international selection.

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions we hold a source for in para judo.

Paralympic Games
Kapil Parmar of Madhya Pradesh won bronze in the men's -60kg J1 at Paris 2024, defeating Brazil's Elielton de Oliveira by ippon in a contest that lasted 33 seconds. It was India's first-ever Paralympic medal in judo, in what was also the country's debut appearance in the sport, alongside Kokila.
IBSA Judo events and Asian Para Games
India's para judoka compete on the International Blind Sports Federation circuit, which is the qualification pathway to the Paralympics.

Leagues

No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for para judo. The national championship under Paralympic Committee of India remains the top domestic competition.

All leagues →

International Players

Globally recognised para judo athletes to know outside India.

The international federation for para judo maintains the current world ranking — check the federation site for the up-to-date top names.

Career Options

Ways to build a career in para judo — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

Para judo was one of three sports India entered for the first time at Paris 2024, along with para cycling and para rowing, and it delivered a medal at the first attempt
Because the sport is for athletes with visual impairment specifically, classification runs through IBSA rather than the general para sport system
Training partners and coaching are shared with able-bodied judo clubs in most Indian centres, so the infrastructure barrier is lower than the very small talent pool would suggest
Pathway runs through PCI state units and national championships into IBSA international events, with TOPS support for the elite squad

Explore sports careers →Coaches directory →

Related academies

0 listed

No para judo academies are catalogued in the directory yet. Browse the full academy list or list your academy to appear here.

All academies →List your academy →

FAQs

Common questions about para judo in India.

Who governs Para Judo in India?▾

We list Paralympic Committee of India as the Indian governing/organising body for Para Judo, and state associations affiliated to it run age-group and state-level competition. We hold no current-year Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition record for it, so this is not a statement that it is currently a recognised national sports federation — recognition is granted year by year.

Is Para Judo an Olympic sport?▾

No. Para Judo is a para discipline, and para disciplines are contested at the Paralympic Games, not the Olympic Games. Athletes selected by Paralympic Committee of India against its published criteria can be considered for TOPS funding, which covers Paralympic medal prospects.

How do I start playing Para Judo in India?▾

The usual routes are a school team under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), a college team under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or a private academy affiliated to your state association under Paralympic Committee of India. Age-group state championships follow from there.

What government schemes support Para Judo athletes?▾

TOPS supports a Core Group and a Development Group of disciplines selected by the Mission Olympic Cell, rather than every Olympic sport. We hold no current list confirming whether Para Judo is among them, so we make no TOPS claim for it. State governments give cash awards to medallists at events they notify. Para Judo does not appear on the official Khelo India Games discipline list, so we make no Khelo India claim for it.

Para Judo in every state & UT

Dedicated pages for Para Judo in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.