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Who is Sakina Khatun? All you need to know about Indian para powerlifter at Paris 2024 Paralympics

Indian para powerlifter Sakina Khatun made the cut for the Paris 2024 Paralympics on the basis of her World Rankings. Paris assignment will be her second Paralympics after she made her debut at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.

After failing to secure the automatic qualification for the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Sakina qualified via the World Rankings. Interestingly, China’s Cui Zhe and Indonesia’s Ni Nengah moved to the 41 kg event, while Venezuela’s Fuentes made it to the 50 kg event.

As a result, Sakina Khatun made the cut for the 45 kg event at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games as the next best-ranked athlete. A total of nine athletes will be competing in this women’s weight category.


Sakina Khatun’s early childhood days and taking up powerlifting as a sport

Sakina was diagnosed with polio when she was young. She has a passion for sports since her childhood. She underwent four surgeries to survive polio. She took up swimming as a sport as it helps strengthen muscles in the body as suggested by her doctors.

However, after not making it through national level championships, she opted to switch to powerlifting after meeting Farman Basha, one of the most renowned powerlifters from India. Since then, she has chosen powerlifting as her pet sport.

After completing her 12th in 2010, she started training in powerlifting with her training sessions beginning in the morning and lasting two hours. Additionally, she would train again for two hours in the evening.


Sakina Khatun’s medals and achievements

At the Commonwealth Games in 2014, she represented India, finishing with the bronze medal in the women’s light lifting category (up to 61 kg) after lifting a total weight of 88.2 kg. Later, she competed at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, securing the fifth position, lifting a total weight of 93 kg.

At the Asian Para Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, she clinched the silver medal in the 50 kg weight category. At the Para Powerlifting World Cup in May 2024 in Thailand, she secured two bronze medals in the Best Lift and Total Lift categories.

She was among nine other women achievers at the BREW Awards in 2016 hosted by The Brew Magazine in Chennai.

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