Para athlete Jhandu Kumar wins first medal for India at Commonwealth Games 2026

India has opened their medal tally at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar earned the bronze medal in the men's heavyweight event on Friday, July 24, 2026.

Jhandu Kumar wins India's first medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026

Para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar won the bronze medal, registering India's first medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2026 at Glasgow. The 28-year-old para athlete was a Group B contested and started his run by lifting 181 kg before lifting 190 kg in the second attempt.

While he got a comfortable head-start in the leaderboard, he was unable to lift 196 kg on his third try and ended with 130.9 points. He ended up winning the bronze medal while Riluwan Idris finished at top, winning gold and Matthew Harding took home the silver.

Jhandu's fellow para powerlifter, Sudhir also competed in this event and finished in the sixth position. The 31-year-old lifted 182 kg and 183 kg in his first two attempts and couldn't successfully lift the 211 kg and missed a podium finish.

Who is Jhandu Kumar?

Jhandu Kumar is a native of Bihar and has been a successful para athlete all through the district and state levels, winning multiple medals, but not in powerlifting. Instead, he excelled in hot put and discus throw and also took part in able-bodied powerlifting competitions

Eventually, Jhandu made the shift to para powerlifting a few years ago, in 2022 after his coaches guided him to find his true calling. The para athlete continued to shine in the new sport as well, winning a silver medal in the very first competition he participated in, in Kolkata.

He continued to script history when he broke the national record in the men's 72kg category in 2025 after he lifted a whopping 205 kg at the National Championships. He surpassed himself a few days later at the Khelo India Para Games when he successfully lifted 206 kg. The event was held in New Delhi.

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