Ranzi Sports

India finally opened its medal account at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow thanks to a composed bronze-medal performance from Jhandu Kumar in men’s heavyweight para powerlifting. The 28-year-old from Bihar lifted 181kg and then improved to 190kg on his second successful attempt, finishing with 130.9 points to secure third place in a tightly fought final. His effort stood out not only because it brought India onto the podium, but because it came after a journey marked by hardship, resilience and years of determined rebuilding.

Jhandu’s story added real depth to the result. Born with polio and forced to overcome financial struggle from a young age, he worked through difficult circumstances before finding his way into para sport. Reports from the event described how he had even sold vegetables and used an e-rickshaw to support his dream, making the bronze far more than just a sporting result. For India, it was a moment that symbolised persistence as much as performance.

The competition itself was intensely close and decided on points, not just raw weight lifted. Jhandu topped Group B and stayed in medal contention after his 190kg lift briefly pushed him near the top of the standings.

In the combined results, Nigeria’s Riluwan Idris took gold with 132.8 points, England’s Matthew Harding claimed silver with 131.0, and Jhandu narrowly settled for bronze with 130.9. That slim margin made the medal one of the most dramatic finishes of the day.

India also had another lifter in action, with Sudhir finishing sixth in the same event. While he missed out on a medal, his presence underlined the strength of India’s growing para powerlifting programme and the country’s increasing depth in the discipline. The event as a whole showed how competitive the category has become, with lifters from multiple nations producing strong marks across both groups.

For India, Jhandu’s bronze was especially important because it came as the country’s first medal of the Games. In a major multi-sport event, opening the tally often changes the mood around the entire team, and this medal gave the Indian contingent an early lift. It also reinforced the value of para sport in India’s sporting landscape, where athletes are increasingly making their mark on the biggest stages.

Also, Jadumani Singh Mandengbam delivered a composed and dominant performance in the men’s 55kg boxing round of 32, defeating Scotland’s Aaron Cullen by a unanimous 5-0 decision in front of a partisan home crowd