Bihar’s Para Powerlifter Jhandu Kumar Sells Potatoes, Holds Promise To Clinch Medal At Commonwealth Games (ETV Bharat)
Nalanda: Jhandu Kumar was barely four when polio struck him, weakening his body and constraining his movement. But he dared to dream and how! At 28, the young para powerlifter from Harnaut in Bihar’s Nalanda district has done what no one else from the state had accomplished. He has been selected to represent India at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, becoming the first para athlete from Bihar to earn a place on such a prestigious international stage. He competes in the 72-kg category.
His achievement gains importance not because of the medals he has won, but because of the challenges he had to brave to step onto a competition platform.
Jhandu Kumar at gym (ETV Bharat)
Jhandu’s fascination with bodybuilding began when he was just 12. Years later, in 2014-15, he finally started training at a gym. But it was around 2021 that he discovered what para powerlifting is and realised that it could be life changing for him. And it was, though survival was the first concern.
He began selling vegetables in 2018 to support his family. Reaching the wholesale market every day was a struggle because he did not even own a wheelchair. As if that was not enough, he faced another setback.
Due to the construction of an overbridge project, the shop was demolished. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he somehow managed to buy an electric rickshaw and began driving it for a living.
Medals Jhandu has won hang in his tin-shed house (ETV Bharat)
“It has been pretty tough all these years. During the COVID period, I bought an e-rickshaw. I drove it throughout the day and trained at the gym in the evenings. Driving the e-rickshaw exhausted my body so much that I hardly got enough opportunity to practise,” says Jhandu Kumar.
Still, he dreamt of making it big and earning laurels.
In 2023, Jhandu qualified to compete in Delhi, but he did not have enough money to travel and participate. The only asset he owned was his e-rickshaw. He sold it. “I had no other option if I wanted to compete in Delhi in 2023. I didn’t win a medal there. I could have given up, but I chose to try again. I received tremendous support from India’s number one coach, Rajendra Singh Rahelu, my gym owner, Gautam Bhaiya, and Kundan Bhaiya.”
Jhandu Kumar (ETV Bharat)
Their support and his perseverance changed everything.
After being selected by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in 2023, his training expenses began to be covered by the government. “I am currently training at the National Centre of Excellence in Gandhinagar, Gujarat,” he informs.
When gym owner and coach Gautam Singh first met Jhandu in 2019, he was impressed. “I was astonished. He had the strength and stamina to sell vegetables throughout the day and still come to the gym every evening to train with complete dedication. It was because of him that I opened a gym in Harnaut,” says Singh.
Ramanand Paswan, Jhandu’s father (ETV Bharat)
Recalling an incident, Singh smiles as he narrates how people laughed at the name ‘Jhandu’. “When I took him to Sasaram, people laughed after hearing his name. But when he delivered an outstanding performance, everyone stood up and applauded. Today, he is ranked among the top three in the world. I am immensely proud of him. He has gone far beyond my expectations and his own,” says Singh.
His medal-winning journey began in 2022 with a bronze medal at the National Championship in Kolkata. In 2024, he won silver at the Khelo India Games held at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium before capturing gold at the National Championship in Noida later that year.
Kamla Devi, Jhandu’s mother (ETV Bharat)
Then came a defining moment. In 2025, Jhandu lifted an astonishing 206 kilograms, breaking a national record that had stood since 1994. He won gold medals at both the National Championship and the Khelo India Games.
His success was not limited to India. He clinched a bronze medal at the World Cup in China, finished sixth at the World Championship in Egypt after lifting 198 kilograms, and added another bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Championship.
These performances cleared the path for his selection to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Jhandu’s house (ETV Bharat)
As Jhandu prepares to compete against the world’s best, not much has changed for his parents. They live in a rented tin-roofed hut built on Bihar State Co-operative Marketing Union Ltd. (BISCOMAUN) land near Harnaut Dak Bungalow.
His father, Ramanand Paswan, continues the potato business for a living. “I somehow manage to feed my family by selling potatoes. Jhandu helps me as and when he can. I do not have any regrets because he is representing the country. That fills us with immense happiness,” he says. The family has not received any assistance or benefits from the government, though.
Jhandu’s family (ETV Bharat)
His mother, Kamla Devi, says, “My son has gone to Gujarat for training. I am sure he will make everyone proud. My request to the government is to give our son a job and provide us with a house so that our lives can improve.”
Jhandu Kumar’s story cannot be measured by the kilograms he lifts. It is about refusing to let any weight or polio limit his capabilities.
Bihar’s Para Powerlifter Jhandu Kumar Sells Potatoes, Holds Promise To Clinch Medal At Commonwealth Games (ETV Bharat)
When the opening ceremony of the 2026 Commonwealth Games begins in Glasgow on July 23, Jhandu will walk into the arena carrying the Tricolour and the dreams, not only of his family, but also of the coach who believed in him before the world did. Of course an entire country will watch him and clap.
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