Jhandu Kumar Secures Bronze for India in Para Powerlifting at Commonwealth Games 2026

Jhandu Kumar's Performance at the Commonwealth Games

Glasgow [Scotland], July 25: Rajinder Singh Rahelu, the coach of Indian para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar, expressed that the team aimed for a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026. However, a minor miscalculation and communication issues led to them missing the top position.

After Jhandu earned a bronze medal, Rahelu shared that they had meticulously calculated the necessary lifts and were optimistic about clinching gold.

“It’s a great feeling. We were confident based on our calculations. Our target was gold, but we fell short for some reason,” Rahelu remarked.

He acknowledged the fierce competition for the gold medal and attributed the near miss to miscommunication and a slight error in their calculations.

“The competition for gold was intense, as we witnessed. However, it was primarily due to miscommunication. I was positioned a bit far, which complicated the calculations. The medal was missed by just two points,” he explained.

Rahelu elaborated that in para powerlifting, a two-point difference can equate to approximately 2-3 kg, making the contest extremely tight.

“Two points translate to about 2-3 kilograms. Given how the body performs in such close scenarios, there was a minor calculation error. Nonetheless, we secured a medal, marking a significant achievement for India,” he added.

Jhandu achieved a podium finish with a successful lift of 190kg, earning 130.9 points. He started strong with a lift of 181kg in his first attempt, scoring 124.7 points, before improving 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 secured the bronze medal.

Earlier, India's lightweight para powerlifters did not manage to win medals. Ashok finished 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 ranked sixth after lifting 100kg for 96.4 points, while Suman Devi also 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 signifies India's first achievement in para powerlifting at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.