Jhandu Kumar opened India’s medal account at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2026 on Friday (July 24) by winning the bronze medal in the men’s para powerlifting event. The Indian lifter successfully lifted 190kg on his second attempt in the men’s heavyweight Group B competition to secure a place on the podium.
Nigeria’s Riluwan Idris claimed the gold medal with 132.8 points, while England’s Matthew Harding won the silver medal after finishing with 131.0 points.
India’s Sudhir also competed in the men’s heavyweight final but finished sixth with 114.1 points. He attempted to lift 211kg on his third and final attempt but was unsuccessful.
Jhandu overcame a childhood marked by polio, poverty and years of odd jobs to fetch the men’s heavyweight para
powerlifting bronze.
The 28-year-old amassed 130.9 points to finish on the podium after successfully lifting 181kg and 190kg. He failed his final attempt of 196kg.
Kumar’s triumph capped a remarkable rise from Harnaut village in Bihar’s Nalanda district, where he helped his parents sell vegetables to support the family after contracting polio at the age of five.
With little financial backing, Kumar initially took up weight training between 2010 and 2012 simply to build strength before trying shot put and javelin. He eventually found his calling in para powerlifting.
The biggest hurdle, however, came outside the gym.
Unable to afford the nutrition required for elite competition, Kumar ran a small vegetable business, travelling nearly 20 kilometres to local markets despite not owning a wheelchair. He later borrowed money from friends to buy an e-rickshaw to earn a livelihood, but those plans were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
His perseverance eventually paid off as he climbed onto the Commonwealth Games podium, giving India an early boost in the para sports programme.
Earlier in the day, Ashok Malik narrowly missed out on a medal in the men’s lightweight competition, finishing fourth with 143.8 points.
England’s Mark Swan won gold with 153.9 points, edging Nigeria’s Roland Ezuruike, who matched that score but settled for silver, while Malaysia’s Bonnie Bunyau Gustin claimed bronze with 153.5 points.
India’s Paramjeet Kumar finished seventh with 135.6 points.
In the women’s heavyweight final Kasthuri Rajamani failed all her three attempts.
In the women’s lightweight final, Jaspreet Kaur and Suman Devi failed to win medals.
(With inputs from PTI)
