From selling vegetables to winning bronze: Jhandu Kumar opens India’s medal account at CWG 2026
New Delhi: India’s Jhandu Kumar scripted an inspiring bronze-medal finish in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event at the on Friday, July 24. He overcame polio, financial struggles and years of odd jobs to secure the country’s first medal of the competition.
The 28-year-old scored 130.9 points with successful lifts of 181kg and 190kg to finish on the podium. Jhandu failed to lift 196kg in his final attempt, but his effort was enough to secure a bronze medal. His compatriot Sudhir finished sixth with 114.1 points. Nigeria’s Idris Riluwan amassed 132.8 points to clinch the gold medal while Matthew Harding (131) won the silver.
From selling vegetables to CWG podium
Kumar’s bronze medal triumph marked the 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 limited resources and financial backing, he initially turned to weight training between 2010 and 2012 to improve his strength before briefly trying shot put and javelin.
He eventually discovered his true potential in para powerlifting. Kumar’s road to success was far from smooth, as he was unable to afford the nutrition and training expenses, which are required for elite competition. He ran a small vegetable business and travelled nearly 20 kilometres to local markets despite not owning a wheelchair.
Kumar later took money from friends to purchase an e-rickshaw to earn a steady income, but those plans were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. His years of grit and determination culminated in a Commonwealth Games bronze, a medal that also gave India its first podium finish of the competition.
“I cannot express my happiness. First of all, I will call my parents at home. And Gautam bhaiya, who was my first companion, whom I have practiced with since my childhood,” said Kumar after the podium finish as quoted by PTI.
“It is very important for India, the first medal. When I see my flag, I feel very happy. And we have won two such medals in 2025. What happened was that it (barbell) got stuck in the rack, so I had a little problem with the timing,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Ashok Malik fell short of a medal in the men’s lightweight competition, and finished fourth with 143.8 points. England’s Mark Swan secured the gold with 153.9 points, while Nigeria’s Roland Ezuruike settled for silver and Malaysia’s Bonnie Bunyau Gustin won the bronze medal with 153.5 points.
India’s Paramjeet Kumar finished seventh with 135.6 points in the men’s event. In the women’s heavyweight final, Kasthuri Rajamani was unable to register a successful lift. Meanwhile, Jaspreet Kaur and Suman Devi failed to win medals in the women’s lightweight final.
(With inputs from PTI)