Khelo India Para Games 2025 to Feature International Para Athletes in New Delhi

New Delhi: The second edition of the Khelo India Para Games (KIPG) 2025 is set to witness participation from several international para athletes, with competitions scheduled from March 20 to 27 in New Delhi, announced Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya.

Building on the success of its inaugural edition in December 2023, this year’s KIPG will bring together around 1,230 para athletes, including medallists from the 2024 Paris Paralympics and the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China. The event will feature competitions across six disciplines—para archery, para athletics, para badminton, para powerlifting, para shooting, and para table tennis. In the previous edition, football (cerebral palsy) was also included as a competitive sport.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will serve as the venue for para athletics, para archery, and para powerlifting from March 21-26, while the Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex will host para badminton and para table tennis from March 20-27. Meanwhile, the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range will stage the para shooting events from March 21-25.

Among the top para athletes set to compete at KIPG 2025 are Harvinder Singh (archery), Dharambir (club throw), and Praveen Kumar (high jump), all of whom clinched gold medals at the Paris Paralympics 2024. India had a historic outing at the 2024 Games, securing 29 medals, including seven golds. Notably, 25 Khelo India athletes were part of India’s 84-member contingent at the Paris Paralympics, with five returning as medal winners.

Highlighting the government’s commitment to para sports, Dr. Mandaviya emphasized that para athletes have emerged as a major source of inspiration for the sporting community. “The phenomenal rise of our para athletes is a huge inspiration to sportspersons at large. Their ‘can-do’ attitude is truly motivating, and I am sure we will witness some exceptional performances at the upcoming Khelo India Para Games,” he stated.

The Khelo India Para Games 2025 will be the second major national sporting event of the year conducted by the Sports Authority of India, following the Khelo India Winter Games. The first part of the Winter Games was held in Ladakh in January, while the concluding phase is scheduled to take place in Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir, from March 9-12.

With India’s para sports ecosystem growing stronger, the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) now includes 52 para athletes as part of its core group for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics cycle. The Khelo India Para Games is set to provide a crucial platform for emerging talent, further strengthening India’s position as a powerhouse in global para sports.