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Team India At WTG 2025
Image Credit: Yes Videography
Every Transplant Games begins with a parade of nations, where athletes carry their flags through the heart of the city. Dharmendra Soti, a badminton gold medallist and one of the first Indian athletes to participate in the World Transplant Games, proudly led the Indian contingent through the streets of Dresden. The parade ended at the Hans Steyer Stadium, where the opening ceremony was held.
Image Credit: Fotograf Patrick Klix
The Interfaith Celebration, held at the Church of Our Lady, Dresden, is a service of remembrance for all the deceased donors who have made the second of life possible. This special service is open to all games participants, donor families, the health care sector and all those touched by donation and transplantation in the Dresden community.
Donor families, living donors, transplant recipients all spoke to remember those who made the gift of life possible. Our very own Sandeep Kaimal opened his heart and shared his journey. Speaking of faith and Hindu beliefs, he reminded us that strength comes not just from within, but also from the bonds that unite us across cultures and communities.
The Cultural Evening, held during the Games is a fun-filled celebration of the diverse cultures represented at the games. The evening features food, music and numerous cultural performances. Team India quickly became the center of attention with a series of rousing dance performances.
Image Credit: Nayantara Puri Arora
India participated in all 3 team sports for the first time - Six-a-side Football, 3x3 Basketball and Volleyball. While the teams were not able to manage a podium finish and there is much work to be done, this is hopefully the start of regular participation. Football and Basketball need a lot of work, but our Volleyball team made their presence felt, narrowly missing out on a quarter-final berth.
The 2025 Games saw the Indian team branch out into previously uncontested waters (in some cases, literally). Indian athletes competed in Swimming events, Cycling and Archery, breaking new ground for Indian athletes, bringing back numerous medals in the process. Special mention to Anil Srivatsa, the only Indian athlete to participate in the Sprint Triathlon, though unfortunately he could not complete the event due to a bike accident during the event.
Our young stars, Varun and Ishaan, embody the spirit that defines transplant sport. Varun, who first shone at the 2023 World Transplant Games with three gold medals in the 12–14 category, returned in 2025 stronger and more focused, winning four medals in the highly competitive 15–17 age group. Alongside him, Ishaan Anekar made a dream international debut in the 12–14 category, securing gold in the 100m and 200m freestyle and a silver in the 50m butterfly, while also competing in athletics. Following a kidney transplant from his father in 2021 after being diagnosed with Alport syndrome, Ishaan returned to sport within a year, demonstrating quiet perseverance and consistency. Together, their journeys offer powerful inspiration to young transplant recipients.
Not once, but twice during the course of the Games did the Tricolor proudly dominate the podium, with Indian athletes taking Gold, Silver and Bronze for the event. Both events - Javelin Throw and Ball Throw - were in the fiercely contested 30-39 age category.
Both events were intensely competitive, with 11 participants in the Javelin Throw and 20 participants in the Ball Throw. In the Ball Throw event, the top 6 athletes and the 8 out of the top 10 athletes were from India. The Gold Medal was taken by Satbir Singh, who threw an astonishing 78m.
A seasoned veteran of the World Transplant Games, ANIL SRIVATSA's first outing at the Games as a donor athlete was in 2019, where not only did he win the Gold in the Ball Throw, but he set the record for the donor event which stands till this day. He won the gold in 2023 and was hoping to complete a hattrick in 2025, when disaster struck during sprint triathlon event, where Anil had a nasty accident on his bike.
The cast on his foot would have deterred most people, but not Anil. Supported by his family - who carried him to the ball throw event - Anil got the gold once again, keeping his unbroken gold streak alive!
Image Credit: Yes Videography
Having donated a kidney to his wife, (only 20% of live donations in India are from men to women), JASKARAN SINGH came into the Games an outlier. Friendly, jovial, and always happy to help, Jaskaran quickly became a central figure in the team.
But it was in the arena that he truly shone, bringing home a jaw-dropping 5 medals, Gold in Darts, 100m, Ball Throw and Long Jump, and a Silver in Petanque. For this performance, Jaskaran was awarded The Greatest Gift Living Donor Award for the competitor who scored the most points from donor / donor family events.