Who is Kanchan Lakhani? All you need to know about the Indian para-athlete competing in the Paris 2024 Paralympics

With the Paris 2024 Paralympics having started on August 28, India will look towards seasoned athletes such as para discus thrower Kanchan Lakhani to challenge for a podium finish at the quadrennial event.

Kanchan Lakhani, who hails from Haryana, has built a solid portfolio which includes medals from national-level tournaments. Despite a short career in para-sports, Lakhani has built quite a reputation for herself among the 84 members of India’s contingent for the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

Now in Paris, Lakhani will look to secure her first Paralympic medal as she makes her big stage debut in the Paris 2024 Games.

Kanchan Lakhani’s career in brief

Hailing from Haryana’s Faridkot area, Kanchan Lakhani lost the use of her legs as a life-changing accident left her paralysed.

However, despite being bound to a wheelchair at all times, she never stopped believing in her abilities. Due to her health condition, she opted to compete in the women's discus throw F53 category, which is reserved for those with little movement in the trunk and the legs.

Lakhani quickly established herself as one of India’s brightest talents in para-athletics, winning medals in discus throw, shot put, and javelin throw. She represented the nation in the 2018 World Para Grand Prix in Paris and the 2019 China Open Para Athletics Championship.

A national champion between 2017 and 2021, she also took part in the 21st National Para Athletics Championships 2022-23 in Pune, where she won a silver medal in the discus throw event and a bronze medal in the javelin throw event.

In 2023, Kanchan Lakhani took part in the 5th Indian Open Para Athletics International Championships in Bengaluru, winning a gold medal in the discus throw event and a bronze medal in the javelin throw event.

She also represented India at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou but failed to win a medal.

However, Lakhani will now face the biggest challenge in her career yet as she faces off against the best para-athletes from around the world in the Paris 2024 Paralympics.