Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami virtually inaugurated the National Paralympic Powerlifting Championship on Friday, stating that the past decade has witnessed unprecedented changes in India’s sports history, making it a golden chapter for Indian sports.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony held at Core University in Roorkee via video conference, Chief Minister Dhami said that this competition is not just a sporting event, but a celebration of India’s indomitable willpower, which transforms every obstacle into a challenge and every challenge into an opportunity. He said that powerlifting itself is a symbol of discipline, patience, courage, and self-confidence. This sport is not only about strength, but also an unparalleled example of determination and self-respect. Chief Minister Dhami said that India’s differently-abled brothers and sisters are bringing glory to the country in every field today. He mentioned that India’s first Paralympic gold medalist, Murlikant Petkar, won a gold medal in the swimming competition at the 1972 Summer Paralympics. Similarly, Satyendra Singh Lohia became the first Indian para-athlete to swim across the English Channel in 12 hours. India’s para-archer Sheetal Devi, despite not having both hands, proved how to turn weakness into strength by winning a gold medal at the World Para Archery Championship. Similarly, the differently-abled women’s cricket team brought glory to India by winning the T20 Blind Women’s Cricket World Cup-2025 in Colombo. Furthermore, at the Tokyo Paralympics, Avani Lekhara won a gold medal in shooting and Sumit Antil in javelin throw, making their mark on the world stage. Not only that, in 2024, Indian athletes created history by winning 29 medals at the Paralympics held in Paris, and in 2025, by winning 110 medals at the Asian Youth Para Games in Dubai, they showed the whole world that Indian Paralympic athletes are second to none. The Chief Minister, while mentioning Padma Shri Deepa Malik, who was present at the ceremony, said that she is India’s first female Paralympic athlete to win a silver medal in the shot put competition at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. He added that she is also a successful biker, swimmer, and car rally driver, and her entire journey has been extremely inspiring.
Chief Minister Dhami said that in the last decade, there has been an unprecedented transformation in India’s sports history, and this decade has become a golden chapter for Indian sports. Indian athletes have consistently pushed their limits, showing the world that India is no longer just a country that participates in competitions; today’s “New India” plays to win. This transformation is due to the clear vision and strong policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that the Prime Minister’s love for sports can be gauged from the fact that under his leadership, India’s sports budget has increased threefold. The “Khelo India” initiative launched by the central government is successfully bringing forward various sporting talents from every part of the country. This is also strengthening the sports infrastructure in the country. Chief Minister Dhami said that the grand and successful organization of the 38th National Games in our state last year has paved the way for establishing Uttarakhand not only as the “Land of Gods” but also as the “Land of Sports.” Our athletes won 103 medals in the National Games, securing the 7th position. The state government, under the guidance and support of the Prime Minister, is striving to develop world-class sports infrastructure in the state. As a result, Uttarakhand is now capable of hosting not only national but also international-level sporting events.
The Chief Minister praised the parents of the differently-abled athletes, saying that they never considered their children weak, but instead made them their strength. Today, these children have become an inspiration for the entire country. Others should also draw inspiration from them. He said that the Uttarakhand government stands with differently-abled athletes in every such endeavor.
On this occasion, Khel Ratna Padma Shri Dr. Deepa Malik, General Secretary of the Paralympic Committee of India Jaywant Hammanawa, Chairperson of India Para Powerlifting JP Singh, Vice President of Para Raw Lifting Shubham Chaudhary, Chairman of Core University JC Jain, Paralympic powerlifters Paramjit Kumar, Ashok, and Kasturi were present.
