India secured its first medal in para powerlifting at the 2026 Commonwealth Games with Jhandu Kumar clinching the bronze in the men’s heavyweight category.
In a significant achievement for India, Jhandu Kumar from Nalanda district of Bihar won the bronze medal in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. His win marked the opening of India's medal tally in this sporting event. In his second attempt, Jhandu successfully lifted 190 kg, scoring 130.9 points and securing a place on the podium. He had started with a successful 181kg lift before improving his mark. Unfortunately, his final attempt of 196kg, which could have broken the Commonwealth Games record set in Birmingham 2022, was not completed. Prior to Jhandu's victory, India missed out on medals in the lightweight events. Ashok Malik finished fourth in the men’s lightweight final with a personal-best lift of 200kg, while Paramjeet Kumar placed seventh. In the women’s events, Jaspreet Kaur finished sixth, Suman Devi seventh, and Kasthuri Rajamani failed to register a valid lift in the heavyweight final.
Source:
Akashvani News
