Khelo India Para Games 2023 Final Medal Tally: Updated standings after 17th December
Haryana finished as the most successful team in the inaugural edition of the Khelo India Para Games 2023 which concluded on Sunday, December 17, in New Delhi. More than 1450 para-athletes participated across seven disciplines in the initiative by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
A total of 173 gold medals, 167 silver, and 184 bronze medals were accounted for by 26 states and union territories in the last week. Haryana topped the charts with 105 medals, including 40 gold, 39 silver and 26 bronze medals.
Uttar Pradesh secured second place with a total of 62 medals laced with 25 gold, 23 silver and 14 bronze medals. Although Gujarat amassed 57 medals across disciplines, they finished fourth on the overall medal tally because their gold medal count (15) was less than Tamil Nadu's 20 even though the latter bagged 42 medals.
Hosts Delhi finished in seventh place with 36 medals in their bag. Meanwhile, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, and Jharkhand could manage to pick only one medal in the Para Games.
The team or contingent that wins the most gold medals ends up at a higher ranking regardless of the medal tally. In case two teams account for the same number of gold medals, the overall medal count of the team is taken into consideration to determine the superior ranking.
Prominent medalists from Khelo India Para Games 2023
Most of the Asian Para Games 2022 medalists competed in the first season of the Khelo India Para Games with the likes of armless archer Sheetal Devi, discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya, table tennis star Bhavina Patel, Parul Parmar, high-jumper Nishad Kumar taking the top honors in their respective disciplines.
The Games also witnessed an Asian record being bettered by Pranav Soorma of Haryana who improved his Asian Para Games gold medal-winning performance of 30.01 with an effort of 33.54 metres in the club throw event. He improved the Asian record of 31.09m held by Dharambir.
Prominent personalities from Olympic sports and cricket such as Mary Kom, Harbhajan Singh, Anju Bobby George, Anjum Moudgil, Manu Bhaker, Viren Rasquinha, and Ajay Jadeja marked their presence to present the medals to the winners of KIPG in the medal ceremony.