Jhandu Kumar secures India’s first medal in para powerlifting at Commonwealth Games

By Rohan Gupta — 24 July 2026 — 3 min read

India concluded Day 2 of the Commonwealth Games with a medal in para powerlifting and several encouraging performances across various events, including swimming, boxing, and lawn bowls. Athletes continued to advance in their respective competitions.

Jhandu Kumar secured India‘s first medal by winning bronze in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event. The 28-year-old athlete achieved 130.9 points after successfully lifting 181kg and 190kg. His final attempt of 196kg was unsuccessful. Sudhir, the other Indian participant in the event, finished sixth with 114.1 points. Nigeria‘s Idris Riluwan earned gold with 132.8 points, while Matthew Harding claimed silver with 131 points.

Born in Bihar, Jhandu Kumar overcame polio and financial challenges before reaching the international stage. Prior to his success in para powerlifting, he 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.

Following guidance from his coaches, Jhandu Kumar transitioned to para powerlifting in 2022. He made an impact by winning a silver medal at his debut competition in Kolkata. In 2025, he set a national record in the men’s 72kg category, lifting 205kg at the National Championships and then 206kg at the Khelo India Para Games in New Delhi. 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.

Other Indian Performances

India narrowly missed out on another medal in the men’s lightweight para powerlifting event, where Ashok Malik finished fourth with 143.8 points. England‘s Mark Swan secured gold with 153.9 points. Nigeria‘s Roland Ezuruike also scored 153.9 points for silver, and Malaysia‘s Bonnie Bunyau Gustin claimed bronze. Paramjeet Kumar, another Indian competitor, finished seventh with 135.6 points.

In para swimming, Karthik Budigina 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. Earlier in the day, both swimmers had advanced to the final after qualifying from the heats. Budigina had finished third in the heats with 57.10 seconds, while Imam Ali qualified with 1:05.32 seconds. South Africa‘s Nathan Hendricks won 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. The S13 category is for athletes with visual impairments.

Boxing and Lawn Bowls Progress

Indian boxer Jadumani Singh began his campaign in the men’s 55kg competition with a victory. He defeated Scotland‘s Aaron Cullen by unanimous decision in the Round of 32, advancing to the pre-quarterfinals where he is set to face Pakistan‘s Sumama Rehman.

However, Srihari Nataraj‘s participation in the men’s 50m backstroke concluded in the semifinals. The Indian swimmer finished seventh in his race with a time of 25.29 seconds and did not qualify for the final. South Africa‘s Pieter Coetze qualified fastest in 24.29 seconds, followed by compatriot Ruard van Renen in 24.56 seconds and England‘s Oliver Morgan in 24.65 seconds.

India also had a successful day in lawn bowls. The women’s pairs team of Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh secured their second consecutive win, 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 victory over Canada‘s Ryan Bester with another win. The Assam Police officer defeated Falkland Islands‘ Cecil Alexander in a tie-break after the match concluded 1-1 in sets. Sonowal recovered from a 3-4 deficit to win the opening set 7-5 before Alexander claimed the second set 8-6. Sonowal then won the tie-break to complete the victory.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com