World Para Powerlifting Championships: Parmjeet Kumar clinched gold in 49kg category
Parmjeet Kumar scripted history at the World Para Powerlifting Championships as he became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the men's senior level category. The 31-year-old produced an impressive total lift of 462kg to clinch the gold medal in Dubai.
The Indian athlete lifted 150kg, 155kg, and 157kg in his three lifts. Colombia's Jhonny Andres Morales Gonzalez lifted a total of 444kg to clinch the silver medal. Hadj Ahmed Beyour of Algeria grabbed the bronze medal with a lift of 437kg.
Earlier in the Championships, Honey Dabas made history by winning the gold medal in the junior category with a powerful 135kg lift in his second attempt in the men's 72kg category.
In his 1st attempt, the Indian athlete lifted 132 kg. India's Jograjiya finished second with a lift of 132kg to clinch the silver in the same event.
Who is Parmjeet Kumar?
Parmjeet Kumar began Para powerlifting in 2009 in Manipur. According to his profile on the International Paralympic Committee's website, he suffered from polio.
The 31-year-old made his international debut in 2015. He represented India in the Asian Championships. His first international medal came in the Asian Para Games in 2018, where he clinched a bronze medal.
In 2021, he became the first Indian to win a bronze medal in the men's up to 49kg category at the Tbilisi Para Powerlifting Championships. He also won a bronze medal in the 2022 Asia Oceania Open Championships in Pyeongtaek, South Korea.
The ongoing World Para Powerlifting Championships is one of the compulsory tournaments to qualify for the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris. Parmjeet Kumar is currently in the sixth place of the Paris 2024 rankings. The top eight players in the rankings, as of June 2024, will qualify directly for the Paralympics.
The World Para Powerlifting Championships, which features 20 Indians in the senior competition and two in the junior, will end on 30 August 2023. The live streaming of the tournament is available on the World Para Powerlifting Championships' Facebook Channel.