Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar after the Bihar-born athlete won India’s first medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026, securing bronze in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event in Glasgow.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister described Jhandu’s achievement as a spectacular performance and praised his determination and perseverance.
“A spectacular performance by Jhandu Kumar, who has opened India’s medal tally at the #CWG2026 by winning a Bronze in the Men’s Heavyweight Para Powerlifting event!” PM Modi posted.
Congratulating the athlete, the Prime Minister said Jhandu’s success reflected immense strength, unwavering determination and years of disciplined effort. He added that the para powerlifter had overcome every challenge to make the nation proud and inspire countless aspiring sportspersons.
A spectacular performance by Jhandu Kumar, who has opened India’s medal tally at the #CWG2026 by winning a Bronze in the Men’s Heavyweight Para Powerlifting event! Congratulations to him. His achievement is a powerful reflection of immense strength, unwavering determination and… pic.twitter.com/kMdkU6RRAF
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 25, 2026
Jhandu secured bronze with a best lift of 130.9, narrowly missing silver by just 0.1. Nigeria’s Riluwan Idris won the gold medal with 132.8, while England’s Matthew Harding claimed silver after lifting 131.0.
The Indian lifter topped Group B ahead of Uganda’s Dennis Mbaziira and Australia’s Ben Wright before his final lift secured an overall third-place finish in the combined classification.
The 29-year-old’s journey to the Commonwealth Games podium reflects remarkable resilience.
Born in Harnaut in Bihar’s Nalanda district and affected by polio since birth, Jhandu grew up in a modest family as the son of a vegetable vendor. He initially competed in the F55 shot put and discus throw events before switching to para powerlifting in 2017 after discovering his strength during gym training.
Jhandu’s bronze medal has given India an encouraging start to its Commonwealth Games campaign and further highlighted the country’s growing success in para sports on the international stage.
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