Para Powerlifting in Goa

Sourced profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and scholarships on this page are compiled from federation and government sources (Olympics.com — India's Paralympic medallists, Para Powerlifting, The Bridge — Indian para-powerlifting squad at Paralympics 2024, Wikipedia — Rajinder Singh Rahelu, Paramjeet Kumar, Paralympic Committee of India). Sections we hold nothing for are left empty rather than filled in.

Overview

Governing body: Paralympic Committee of India
Origin: Paralympic sport since Tokyo 1964
Olympic discipline: Yes
Category: Para
Central pathway: Olympic (TOPS eligible)
Athlete profiles on SportSupport: 2

Para Powerlifting is listed on SportSupport in the para category. Its recorded origin is Paralympic sport since Tokyo 1964. It is on the Olympic programme. Competition in India is organised under Paralympic Committee of India.

Because para powerlifting is an Olympic discipline, elite athletes can be funded through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), and identified junior talent through the Khelo India Talent Development scheme. Selection into either runs through Paralympic Committee of India against its published benchmarks.

Scholarships & Funding

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

Khelo India Talent Development Scheme (KISCE)
Monthly stipend (₹10,000 for Khelo India athletes), boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for identified para powerlifting talent (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports).
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
Central government scheme covering training, foreign exposure, equipment and out-of-pocket allowance (up to ₹50,000/month) for medal-prospect para powerlifting athletes; administered by the Mission Olympic Cell.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite para powerlifting athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment.
Pension for Meritorious Sportspersons
Lifetime monthly pension (₹20,000 for Olympic/World/Asian/CWG medallists; scaled by tier) for retired para powerlifting internationals — Government of India.

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Indian Players

2 profiles

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Rules

A single-lift sport contested entirely as the bench press. The athlete lies on a specially designed bench, takes the bar at arm's length, lowers it to the chest, holds it motionless, then presses it up to straight arms. Three attempts are allowed and the best successful lift counts. Athletes are grouped by bodyweight rather than impairment, and all competitors have impairment in the lower limbs or hips.

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 powerlifting squad list.

Competitor
Athlete who takes part in the para powerlifting 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 powerlifting at a federation-recognised event.

Competition bench to World Para Powerlifting specification
Barbell and plates
Singlet or full-length sports trousers
Lifting belt and wrist wraps
Blocks or straps to secure the legs where required

Governing body

National federation

Paralympic Committee of India

Paralympic Committee of India is the national body for Para Powerlifting in India, responsible for the domestic calendar, selection norms and anti-doping compliance. State associations under it run age-group competition.

Origin: Paralympic sport since Tokyo 1964
Olympic: Yes
Category: Para

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Major Indian Events

Domestic competitions we hold a source for in para powerlifting.

National Para Powerlifting Championships
Run under the Paralympic Committee of India across the men's and women's bodyweight categories, and the qualification route to World Para Powerlifting World Cups and Championships.

International Events

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

Paralympic Games
India has competed in para powerlifting since 1996 and has one Paralympic medal — Rajinder Singh Rahelu's bronze in the men's 56kg at Athens 2004, lifting 157.5kg. He originally placed fourth and was awarded bronze after the Syrian lifter ahead of him was disqualified for doping. At Paris 2024, Paramjeet Kumar finished eighth in the men's up to 49kg and Sakina Khatun seventh, alongside Ashok and Kasthuri Rajamani, leaving the twenty-year medal drought unbroken.
World Para Powerlifting Championships
Paramjeet Kumar became the first Indian to medal at these championships, taking bronze in the men's 49kg at Tbilisi in November 2021. He had earlier won bronze at the 2018 Asian Para Games.
Commonwealth Games
Jhandu Kumar won India's first Commonwealth Games medal in para powerlifting at Glasgow 2026.

Leagues

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

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International Players

Globally recognised para powerlifting athletes to know outside India.

The international federation for para powerlifting 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 powerlifting — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

Rajinder Singh Rahelu remains the sport's reference point in India — born in Mehsampur village, Jalandhar, to a bandmaster father and a mother who worked as a maid, he contracted polio at eight months, went on to win Paralympic bronze, received the Arjuna Award, and carried India's flag at the Beijing 2008 opening ceremony
Paramjeet Kumar, affected by polio in both legs at the age of two, shows the current pathway: Asian Para Games bronze, then a first World Championship medal for India, then Paralympic qualification
Because athletes are grouped by bodyweight rather than impairment class, the classification process is simpler than most para sports — eligibility rests on impairment of the lower limbs or hips
The sport shares gyms and coaching with able-bodied powerlifting, though the specialised competition bench is the main equipment barrier at club level

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Related academies

1 listed

SAI Western Centre, GandhinagarNational
Gandhinagar, Gujarat · Since 1986
Western India's residential SAI centre with full sports-science support; its athletics, powerlifting and swimming programmes here are para disciplines.

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Government Schemes

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Central and state schemes that fund training, stipends and awards for para powerlifting athletes and academies.

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FAQs

Common questions about para powerlifting in India.

Who governs Para Powerlifting in India?▾

Paralympic Committee of India is the national body for Para Powerlifting in India. State associations under it run age-group and state-level competition.

Is Para Powerlifting an Olympic sport?▾

Yes, Para Powerlifting is on the Olympic programme. Athletes selected by Paralympic Committee of India against its published criteria can be considered for TOPS funding.

How do I start playing Para Powerlifting 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 Powerlifting athletes?▾

Khelo India (talent-development stipends, boarding and coaching at accredited centres), TOPS (funding for medal-prospect athletes) and state-government cash awards for medallists at notified events.

Para Powerlifting in every state & UT

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

Para Powerlifting