Tokyo Paralympics: Powerlifters Jaideep Kumar, Sakina Khatun seal berth

The Tokyo Olympics gets underway from July 23, while the Tokyo Paralympics is scheduled for August 24. In the meantime, India would also take part, as a couple of powerlifters have managed to seal their berth.

While the enthusiasm for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics is scaling higher, the preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics is also underway. Also, quite a few Indian para-athletes would be taking part in the latter, scheduled to happen from August 24.

Meanwhile, a couple of Indian powerlifters have managed to seal their berth in the Paralympics. Jaideep Kumar and Sakina Khatun managed to seal their berth after India was handed the bipartite quotas, reports PTI.

According to the Paralympic Committee of India, Jaideep (men's 65 kg) and Khatun (women's 50kg) were conferred with the bipartite quota by World Para Powerlifting. Khatun happens to be a bronze medalist during the 2014 Commonwealth Games, while she also won a silver at the 2018 Asian Para Games.

The quotas handed a relief to the Indian powerlifters, as they could not compete during the Fazza -Dubai 2021 World Cup last month in the United Arab Emirates due to travel limitations. Meanwhile, Khatun, who became the first Indian female para-powerlifter to qualify for the event, was delighted, as her hard work for the past couple of years paid off and she would be looking to deliver her best.

Also, Jaideep was relieved since there was uncertainty regarding the fate of the Indian para-lifters after missing the World Cup. He asserted that the quotas had given them hope and motivation, as he would be fighting it out for a medal.

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