Jhandu Kumar Wins Bronze in Para Powerlifting at Commonwealth Games 2026

Historic Achievement for Indian Para Powerlifting

Glasgow [Scotland], July 25: Indian para-powerlifting coach Jitender Pal Singh expressed his joy after Jhandu Kumar secured a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, highlighting this accomplishment as a testament to India's capability to compete on a global stage.

In a conversation following Jhandu's podium finish, Singh emphasized the challenges of para powerlifting, stating that earning a medal at the Commonwealth Games signifies an athlete's potential to vie for Olympic medals as well.

"This is an unparalleled joy. Para Powerlifting is among the most demanding para sports, and winning a medal here allows us to consider ourselves at the world level. Achieving a medal in such competitions indicates that we can also aim for Olympic success. There is no tougher competition than this," Singh remarked.

The coach conveyed a sense of relief and happiness for the team, noting that Indian para powerlifters have a history of medal wins at the Commonwealth Games.

"Securing a medal brings immense joy, a feeling that words cannot capture. We were somewhat anxious because para powerlifting has consistently earned medals in previous Commonwealth Games. This was the final competition, so there was a lingering fear of missing out on a medal," he explained.

Reflecting on Jhandu's performance, Singh noted that the Indian lifter was in contention for gold but fell short on his final attempt.

"At one stage, we were in the running for gold, but the third lift did not go as planned; that lift was not validated. Had that lift been successful, we would have secured a gold medal today," he added.

Jhandu achieved a podium finish with a best lift of 190kg, earning 130.9 points. He started strong with a lift of 181kg in his first attempt, scoring 124.7 points, and then improved to 190kg in his second attempt, briefly placing him at the top of the leaderboard.

In his final attempt, Jhandu aimed for 196kg, which would have set a new Commonwealth Games record established in Birmingham 2022. Unfortunately, he was unable to complete the lift and ultimately finished with the bronze medal.

Earlier, India's lightweight para powerlifters faced challenges, with Ashok finishing fourth in the men's final with a personal-best lift of 200kg, scoring 143.8 points, while Paramjeet Kumar placed seventh with a lift of 176kg and 135.6 points.

In the women's lightweight category, Jaspreet Kaur secured sixth place after lifting 100kg for 96.4 points, while Suman Devi finished seventh with a best lift of 100kg and 88.4 points.

Kasthuri Rajamani, on the other hand, was unable to record a valid lift in the women's heavyweight final, as all three of her attempts were unsuccessful.

Jhandu's bronze medal marks India's inaugural achievement in para powerlifting at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.