India’s Para Powerlifting team arrives at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow carrying far greater expectations than it did four years ago. Back in Birmingham, the contingent consisted of just three athletes. This time, seven lifters will represent the country, a reflection of the rapid growth of the sport following Sudhir’s historic gold medal in 2022.
For JP Singh, IRS, Chairman of Para Powerlifting India and head coach of the Indian contingent, the increase in numbers is only one part of the story. More importantly, he believes the mindset of Indian para-athletes has changed.
“Earlier, athletes participated to gain experience. Today, every athlete enters a competition believing they can win a medal. That change in thinking is the biggest transformation,” Singh told RevSportz in Glasgow.
The spotlight, naturally, remains on defending Commonwealth champion Sudhir, who will attempt to retain the title that changed the trajectory of Indian Para Powerlifting.
But Singh, who also serves as the Assistant Director, DG Systems (GST and Customs), knows the challenge is much tougher this time around.
“Defending a title is much more difficult than winning it for the first time. The pressure is almost double because every country comes better prepared. Every Commonwealth Games produces different results. Our preparations have gone well and now we will try to keep that gold medal with us,” he said.
While Sudhir remains India’s biggest name, Singh believes the squad has enough quality to deliver multiple medals.
Heavyweight debutant Jhandu Kumar is among the brightest prospects after impressing consistently on the domestic circuit.
“Based on his domestic performances, we have high expectations from Jhandu. We believe he has the potential to win a medal.”
India also has experienced campaigners Parmjeet Kumar and Ashok Kumar in the men’s lightweight division, while Jaspreet Kaur and Suman Devi are expected to challenge strongly in the women’s lightweight events.
“We have genuine medal hopes across categories, not just from one athlete,” Singh said, mentioning the above names.
A sport where the competition is unforgiving
Singh describes Para Powerlifting as one of the toughest disciplines in Parasports because athletes compete primarily according to body weight rather than multiple impairment classifications.
“There is only one eligible impairment category in Para Powerlifting. Athletes compete based on body weight, irrespective of other physical advantages. That makes the competition extremely intense.”
Internationally, he admits India still has ground to make up, particularly against powerhouse China.
“China is far ahead in terms of preparation and performances. We are still building our programme, but our junior athletes are improving steadily. I believe the results will become much stronger over the next few international competitions.”
Sudhir’s gold changed everything
According to Singh, Sudhir’s Commonwealth gold did much more than add another medal to India’s tally.
“It inspired people to take up the sport. Athletes who had never considered Para Powerlifting started coming into the system.”
The numbers tell the story.
The national athlete pool has nearly doubled from around 125-130 lifters after Birmingham, while India’s Commonwealth Games contingent has grown from three athletes to seven.
“The medals have directly influenced participation. More athletes are entering the sport, and our Paralympic participation has also increased.”
Singh credits the support of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Paralympic Committee of India for helping build a stronger competitive structure.
“The ecosystem has improved significantly. There is greater support, more competitions and better exposure. Success doesn’t happen overnight in this sport, but we are moving in the right direction.”
Looking to the North-East for the next champions
One area Singh believes holds enormous untapped potential is the North-East.
While the region has consistently produced elite Olympic weightlifters, he wants a stronger Para Powerlifting presence there.
“The North-East has athletes with body structures that suit strength sports. Many are naturally compact, possess excellent balance and have tremendous fighting spirit. Those qualities are ideal for powerlifting.”
He hopes new National Centres of Excellence can eventually be established across the country, particularly in the North-East, Delhi and Punjab, alongside the existing centres in Lucknow and Gandhinagar.
“We need more regional centres if we want to identify talent early. We also want to conduct talent-hunt programmes in rural India because many youngsters with natural potential are still outside the sporting system.”
Bigger ambitions beyond Glasgow
Singh also believes India must begin hosting major international Para Powerlifting competitions.
“We have not yet organised a World Cup, Asian Championship or World Championship in India. Hosting such events will help raise standards and expose our athletes to the highest level of competition.”
He also highlighted another challenge unique to the sport—nutrition.
“Powerlifting is expensive. Athletes require high-protein diets, and sometimes young lifters are misled into taking supplements that can harm them. We need more education and awareness alongside better infrastructure”, concluded Singh making this plea to the administration and government.
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