Jhandu Kumar wins bronze in para powerlifting, gives India first CWG 2026 medal

India opened its medal account at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with Jhandu Kumar winning bronze in the men's heavyweight para powerlifting event on Friday.

The 28-year-old scored 130.9 points after successfully lifting 181kg and 190kg. He failed in his final attempt at 196kg, which would have been a Games record. Nigeria's Idris Riluwan won gold with 132.8 points, while England's Matthew Harding claimed silver with 131 points.

Kumar's medal marks a remarkable achievement for the para athlete, who contracted polio at the age of five and grew up in Harnaut village in Bihar's Nalanda district. He helped his parents sell vegetables to support the family and later took up weight training before transitioning to shot put, javelin and eventually para powerlifting.

Facing financial difficulties, Kumar ran a small vegetable business and travelled nearly 20 km to local markets. He later borrowed money to purchase an e-rickshaw for his livelihood, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his plans.

After winning the bronze, Kumar said his first call would be to his parents and Gautam, his childhood training companion. He also expressed pride in winning India's first medal of the Games.

Earlier, Ashok Malik narrowly missed a medal in the men's lightweight event, finishing fourth. Paramjeet Kumar placed seventh, while India's Kasthuri Rajamani, Jaspreet Kaur and Suman Devi failed to secure medals in their respective women's events.