Glasgow: Jhandu Kumar secures India’s first medal in para powerlifting

By Arjun Nair / 25.07.2026

By Arjun Nair — 24 July 2026 — 3 min read

India’s First Medal in Para Powerlifting

Jhandu Kumar secured India’s first medal at the Commonwealth Games, earning a bronze in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event. The 28-year-old athlete, who has overcome polio and financial challenges, achieved 130.9 points. His successful lifts included 181kg and 190kg, though he was unable to complete his final attempt of 196kg.

Kumar’s performance placed him behind Nigeria’s Idris Riluwan, who won gold with 132.8 points, and Matthew Harding, who claimed silver with 131 points. Another Indian participant in the event, Sudhir, finished in sixth place with 114.1 points. Sudhir’s lifts included 182kg and 183kg, but he was unsuccessful in his attempt to lift 211kg.

Before transitioning to para powerlifting in 2022, Kumar competed in para athletics, earning district and state-level medals in shot put and discus throw. He also participated in able-bodied powerlifting competitions. In 2025, he set a national record in the men’s 72kg category, lifting 205kg at the National Championships and 206kg at the Khelo India Para Games. He also earned bronze medals at the World Para Powerlifting World Cup and the Asia-Oceania Open Championships, and finished among the top six at the World Para Powerlifting Championships.

Mixed Results Across Other Events

On the second day of the Commonwealth Games, India saw mixed outcomes in other sports. In the men’s lightweight para powerlifting event, Ashok Malik finished fourth with 143.8 points, narrowly missing a medal. England’s Mark Swan won gold with 153.9 points, while Nigeria’s Roland Ezuruike also scored 153.9 points for silver, and Malaysia’s Bonnie Bunyau Gustin claimed bronze. Paramjeet Kumar, another Indian competitor, placed seventh with 135.6 points.

In para swimming, Karthik Budigina also finished fourth in the men’s 100m Freestyle S13 final, clocking 57.57 seconds. His teammate, Imam Ali, finished seventh with a time of 1:03.73. South Africa’s Nathan Hendricks secured gold in 54.54 seconds, with Scotland’s Stephen Clegg taking silver in 55.16 seconds and England’s Matthew Redfern earning bronze in 56.86 seconds. Earlier, both Budigina and Ali had advanced to the final, with Budigina finishing third in the heats with 57.10 seconds and Ali qualifying with 1:05.32 seconds.

Indian boxer Jadumani Singh began his campaign successfully in the men’s 55kg competition, defeating Scotland’s Aaron Cullen by unanimous decision in the Round of 32. He is set to face Pakistan’s Sumama Rehman in the pre-quarterfinals. However, swimmer Srihari Nataraj’s participation in the men’s 50m backstroke concluded in the semifinals, where he finished seventh in his race with a time of 25.29 seconds and did not qualify for the final.

Lawn Bowls Success Continues

India’s lawn bowls teams continued their strong performance. The women’s pairs team, consisting of Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh, secured their second consecutive victory, defeating South Africa 2-0 (6-4, 7-5) in their Section B match at the Scottish Event Campus Hall 3.

In men’s singles, Putul Sonowal followed up his opening-day win against Canada’s Ryan Bester with another victory. The Assam Police officer defeated Cecil Alexander of the Falkland Islands in a tie-break after the match ended 1-1 in sets. Sonowal recovered from a 3-4 deficit to win the first set 7-5, before Alexander claimed the second set 8-6. Sonowal then won the tie-break to complete the match.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com