Who is Kasthuri Rajamani? All you need to know about the Indian para-powerlifter competing in the Paris 2024 Paralympics
With the Paris 2024 Paralympics starting on August 28, India is sending 84 athletes to the event, and para-powerlifter Kasthuri Rajamani will be among those looking to make a mark on the biggest stage of all in France. The Paris 2024 Paralympics is scheduled to take place between August 28 and September 8.
Despite being 39 years old and at the end of her relatively short career, Kasthuri Rajamani has been a beacon of hope and inspiration because of her incredible performances at recent international events, including the Para Powerlifting World Cup in 2024.
As a result of her performances, she secured a sport in the upcoming Summer Paralympic Games, where she will compete in the women’s 67kg event. Now in France as one of the four Indian representatives in para-powerlifting, Rajamani will look to give tough competition to her opponents and clinch a podium finish.
Kasthuri Rajamani’s career in brief
Kasthuri Rajamani’s career as India’s para-powerlifting star has been a rather short one. The athlete from Tamil Nadu, who is confined to a wheelchair, picked up the sport only six years ago in 2018.
Rajamani worked in a private company till she was 34, and due to a lack of guidance and opportunities available in para-sports, she was unable to take up the sport that she loved. Finally, she met Tamil Nadu Paralympic Sports Association coach Vijaya Sarathy, who introduced her to para-powerlifting and gave her the confidence to take part in powerlifting tournaments.
After winning a gold medal in her first-ever para-powerlifting tournament, Rajamani represented her nation at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou. She tasted success in the Khelo India Para Games in December 2023, where she clinched the gold medal with a massive lift of 100kg.
Her winning spree continued as she picked up a bronze medal in the Pattaya 2024 World Cup in May, lifting 105kg in the event. However, Rajamani suffered a setback as she finished ninth in the Tbilisi 2024 World Cup, which was the final qualifying round for the Paris 2024 Paralympics. She failed to register a valid lift in the event and finished outside the qualifying limit by one spot.
Nevertheless, it is said that luck favors the brave, and that was certainly true in the case of Kasthuri Rajamani, who secured qualification after some of her opponents switched weight classes. As a result, she will be on the plane to France, looking to secure a fairytale ending to her sporting career.