At the 2026 Commonwealth Games being held in Glasgow, para-powerlifter Jhandu Kumar has won India’s first medal.
In the men’s para-powerlifting event, he successfully lifted 181 kg and 190 kg, scoring 130.9 points to clinch the bronze medal.
Jhandu Kumar is a resident of Harnaut in Nalanda district, Bihar. His life journey has been extremely difficult. Born into a very poor family, Jhandu used to sell vegetables and also drive an e-rickshaw to financially support his family.
It was Paralympic medalist Rajinder Singh Rahelu who spotted his talent and brought him to the SAI National Training Centre in Gandhinagar for training.
Following Jhandu Kumar’s historic achievement, J. P. Singh, head coach of the Indian para-powerlifting team, made a special appeal to both the Central and State Governments.
The coach said that considering the extreme poverty and struggles Jhandu has overcome to bring glory to the country, he deserves an appropriate cash award and a government job.
Jhandu Kumar had earlier won a bronze medal at the 2025 Beijing Para-Powerlifting World Cup. His coaches are hopeful that he will win a gold medal at the upcoming World Championships.
