India opened its medal account at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with a bronze medal from para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar in the men’s heavyweight (72kg) category. The Bihar athlete finished third with 130.9 points, securing India’s first podium finish of the Games after Nigeria’s Riluwan Idris failed to improve his score on the final attempt.
Jhandu delivered an impressive performance, successfully lifting 181kg and 190kg, before narrowly missing a Commonwealth Games record with a 196kg attempt. His effort was enough to keep him in medal contention throughout the event. Nigeria’s Idris claimed the gold medal with 132.8 points, while England’s Matthew Harding took silver with 131.0 points.
The bronze marks another milestone in Jhandu’s inspiring journey. Hailing from Harnaut in Bihar’s Nalanda district, he overcame childhood polio and financial hardships, with his father working as a vegetable vendor. Initially competing in para athletics, Jhandu later switched to powerlifting, where he found remarkable success. Before Glasgow, he had already won bronze medals at the 2025 Beijing World Cup and the 2026 Asian & Oceania Championships, besides setting national records.
Meanwhile, India’s Srihari Nataraj missed out on a place in the men’s 50m backstroke final after finishing 11th overall in the semifinals. Former Commonwealth champion Sudhir ended sixth in the para powerlifting event.
Jhandu Kumar’s bronze has given India a positive start to its Commonwealth Games campaign, with several Indian athletes set to compete across gymnastics, boxing, swimming, bowls and para powerlifting in the coming days.
