CWG: Jhandu Kumar, who sold vegetables on e-rickshaw, wins India's first medal
India did not have to wait long to get off the mark at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and the breakthrough came wrapped in a story of extraordinary grit. Jhandu Kumar, a 29-year-old former e-rickshaw driver and son of a roadside vegetable vendor from Bihar, won a historic bronze medal in the Men’s Heavyweight Para Powerlifting event in Glasgow, delivering India’s first podium finish of the Games.
Coming on the heels of a heartbreaking fourth-place finish in the men’s lightweight event earlier in the day, Jhandu turned despair into celebration with a sensational performance in a field stacked with world-class lifters.
In para powerlifting, where medals are determined using a complex scoring system that weighs body weight against the load lifted, competitors are split into groups. Typically, lifters in Group A, who compete second and usually boast higher body weights, hold a distinct tactical advantage. In the lightweight event earlier, every single medal had gone to Group A lifters.
CWG 2026 DAY 1: HIGHLIGHTS
Jhandu, competing out of Group B, completely rewrote that script.
The 29-year-old opened his campaign with absolute authority. His second attempt, a successful 190kg lift, was enough to propel him to the top of the leaderboard at the halfway mark with a score of 130.9 points. Though he was 8kg short of his personal best, the sheer efficiency of the lift placed immense pressure on the rest of the field.
Jhandu pushed for absolute glory in his final attempt, going for a monstrous 196kg, but missed it by a mere whisker. Nevertheless, his 190kg effort had already put him in a commanding position. On-air commentators immediately noted that his 130.9-point benchmark would likely survive the Group A assault and earn him a spot on the podium.
Reflecting on the failed final lift, which would have put him in Games record territory, Kumar said the attempt went awry because the bar brushed the rack. “What happened was that it (barbell) got stuck in the rack, so I had a little problem with the timing,” he explained as quoted by PTIKumar said winning India’s first medal in Glasgow made the achievement even more meaningful. “It is very important for India, the first medal. When I see my flag, I feel very happy,” he said after the medal ceremony.
A THRILLING FINISH
As the heavier lifters in Group A took the stage, Jhandu’s total proved almost impossible to match.
Nigeria’s Riluwan Idris eventually snatched gold with the best lift of 208kg, accumulating 132.8 points. England’s Matthew Harding claimed silver after lifting 199kg for 131.0 points – just a fraction ahead of the Indian.
Jhandu held firm in third, securing the bronze medal. In a testament to the high standard of competition, barring gold-medallist Idris, silver-medallist Harding, and bronze-medallist Jhandu, no other lifter in the entire competition managed to cross the 130-point mark.
The achievement left Kumar overwhelmed. “I cannot express my happiness. First of all, I will call my parents at home. And Gautam bhaiya, who was my first companion, whom I have practiced with since my childhood,” the 29-year-old said after securing India’s first medal of the Games.
Meanwhile, India’s Sudhir, who was disqualified for doping after winning gold in the Commonwealth Games 2024, finished sixth in the event.
WHO IS JHANDU KUMAR?
Jhandu’s bronze medal is a triumph over extreme hardship. Born in Harnaut in Bihar’s Nalanda district, Jhandu was affected by polio since birth. Growing up in a humble family, he assisted his father with selling potatoes and onions on the roadside to make ends meet, eventually driving an e-rickshaw during the Covid-19 pandemic to earn a daily wage.
His sporting journey began in 2017 in para athletics, where he competed in the F55 shot put and discus throw events, winning several district and state-level medals. However, strength sessions in the gym sparked a deeper passion for powerlifting, prompting a full transition to the sport.
His breakthrough came through adversity. After failing to register a successful lift at his debut National Championship-having been forced to sell his e-rickshaw in 2023 just to afford the trip-his raw potential caught the eye of Paralympic bronze medallist Rajinder Singh Rahelu. Invited to train at the SAI National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in Gandhinagar under Rahelu’s tutelage, Jhandu’s career skyrocketed.
He established himself as India’s premier lifter in the 72kg class, setting a National Record with a 205kg lift at the National Championships before raising it to 206kg at the Khelo India Para Games. International success quickly followed with a bronze at the 2025 Beijing World Cup and another bronze at the 2026 Asian & Oceania Championships.
Kumar said winning India’s first medal in Glasgow made the achievement even more meaningful. “It is very important for India, the first medal. When I see my flag, I feel very happy,” he said after the medal ceremony.
Now, with a Commonwealth Games medal around his neck, the former vegetable seller from Nalanda has not only opened India’s tally in Glasgow but has firmly set his sights on the ultimate dream: a medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
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