India finally got itself featured on the Commonwealth Games leaderboard as para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar brought the first medal for the country in the 2026 edition of the tournament. The 28-year-old won the bronze medal in the men’s heavyweight event on Friday night. On the other hand, Sudhir, the other participant in the event, finished sixth.
Event Context
In the men’s heavyweight final, Jhandu appeared in Group B. He first lifted 181 kg in his first attempt and then went on to lift 190kg in his next attempt. These two lifts were enough for him to race ahead in the leaderboard. However, he wasn’t able to lift a whopping 196kg on his third and final attempt, and his total points tally remained at 130.9.
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Speaking of Sudhir, he lifted 182kg in his first attempt. In the next try, the 31-year-old lifted 1kg more, 183, taking his total points to 114.1. However, the biggest shock came when he decided to go for a whopping 211 kg in his third and final attempt. But Sudhir wasn’t able to complete the lift, and he eventually finished at the sixth spot.
The second day of the Commonwealth Games 2026 was a case of it being so close yet so far for the Indian athletes. Ashok Kumar Malik missed out on a medal in the men’s lightweight category after finishing fourth.
Speaking of Jhandu, he was born in Bihar. Before finding success in para powerlifting, Jhandu competed in para athletics, where he won district- and state-level medals in shot put and discus throw. He also participated in able-bodied powerlifting competitions, showcasing his natural strength and competitive spirit.
He first lifted 205kg at the National Championships to surpass the previous benchmark before raising the bar once again with a successful 206kg lift at the Khelo India Para Games in New Delhi just days later.
He also claimed bronze medals at both the World Para Powerlifting World Cup and the Asia-Oceania Open Championships before finishing among the top six at the World Para Powerlifting Championships.
Player Focus
However, this performance was enough to put pressure on all opponents in Group A, which also included India’s Sudhir. However, in the end, Jhandu’s points weren’t enough as Group B participants Riluwan Idris and Matthew Harding performed better than him, winning the gold and silver respectively.
Team Analysis
Following the guidance of his coaches, Jhandu transitioned to para powerlifting in 2022. He announced his arrival by winning a silver medal at his debut competition in Kolkata. In 2025, he etched his name into the record books by breaking the national record in the men’s 72kg category.
