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India’s Kasthuri Rajamani won silver in the women’s 67kg para powerlifting event at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games on Wednesday, October 21. The 42-year-old athlete from Tamil Nadu secured second place with a successful 108kg lift on her third and final attempt, finishing behind Uzbekistan’s Rukhshona Uktamova, who won gold with 127kg.
South Korea’s Kim Hyeonghui took bronze with a best lift of 107kg, leaving Rajamani one kilogram clear of the bronze-medal position. The result marked a major improvement from Rajamani’s fifth-place finish at the previous edition of the Games and added another medal to India’s para powerlifting campaign.
Rajamani began the competition with a successful 103kg lift. She then attempted 106kg in her second attempt but did not complete it. Returning for her final attempt, she lifted 108kg to move into the silver-medal position.
Uktamova established the winning mark with 127kg, 19kg higher than Rajamani’s best lift. Kim finished with 107kg, one kilogram behind the Indian. The narrow gap between silver and bronze meant Rajamani’s final successful attempt was decisive in determining the podium order.
Para powerlifting competition results are determined by the heaviest successful lift within each bodyweight category. Athletes have three attempts, and only successful lifts count towards their final result. Rajamani’s 108kg mark therefore stood as her best lift and the result that secured second place.
The silver medal represented an improvement on Rajamani’s fifth-place finish at the previous Asian Para Games. Her result in Aichi-Nagoya moved her onto the podium in a category where the leading lifters were separated by different best-lift totals.
Rajamani’s performance also adds to the visibility of para powerlifting in India. The sport tests strength through the bench press, with athletes grouped by bodyweight category. Each competitor must complete the lift under the sport’s rules for it to count, making attempt selection and execution important parts of the contest.
Rajamani’s silver was reported as India’s second para powerlifting medal at the 2026 Asian Para Games. Ashok Kumar Malik had earlier won silver in the men’s 65kg category on Tuesday, October 20. The two results gave India podium finishes in both a men’s and a women’s powerlifting category during the Games.
Rajamani’s 108kg lift also kept the women’s 67kg contest close for the silver-medal position. Kim Hyeonghui’s 107kg best effort was enough for bronze, while Uktamova’s 127kg secured the title. The standings show how a single successful final attempt can affect the medal positions when competitors are closely matched.
For Indian sports programmes, Rajamani’s result is a reminder that major multi-sport competitions include strength disciplines alongside track and field, swimming and team sports. Para powerlifting requires technical consistency, strength development and the ability to execute a legal lift under competition pressure.
Rajamani, from Tamil Nadu, improved her placing from the previous edition and returned from Aichi-Nagoya with a silver medal. Her result gives local coaches and aspiring para-athletes a concrete example of progression across editions of a continental championship. SportsLine will continue to follow Indian athletes competing across the Asian Para Games programme.
The women’s 67kg final added another Indian podium finish to the para powerlifting programme. Rajamani’s successful 108kg final lift put her ahead of Kim by one kilogram, while Uktamova’s 127kg effort secured gold. The confirmed standings and attempt details provide the clearest picture of how the medal positions were decided.
Event details in this report are based on published coverage from DD India, IANS and other reports. Readers should refer to the official event results for the complete attempt sheet and any additional technical information.
