Para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar expressed his happiness after securing the bronze medal in the men’s heavyweight event at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games and outlined his ambitions for the Asian Games and Olympics. The 28-year-old achieved a best lift of 190 kg on his second attempt in Group B at the SEC Armadillo venue in Glasgow, earning 130.9 points.
A welcome ceremony was held at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in Gandhinagar to honour Jhandu Kumar and Arjuna Awardee coach Rajender Singh Rahelu. Speaking to ANI, Jhandu Kumar said, “Today is truly a moment of great happiness, and I am so happy that I cannot even describe it. That… I mean, if you look at it, because of this happiness, I haven’t slept properly for three days. So you yourself can now estimate how happy I am.”
He added, “My next [goals] are the Asian Games and the Olympics. I will prepare for them very well. And I will bring a medal–I will bring a gold medal.”
Coach Rajinder Singh Rahelu praised Jhandu Kumar’s medal as a proud moment for India and highlighted his inspiring journey from selling vegetables to achieving international success. He noted that Jhandu has been training at SAI Gandhinagar since 2023 and described him as a dedicated athlete with a strong work ethic.
Rajinder Singh Rahelu said, “Jhandu has won a medal; one thing is that it is a good thing… it is the start of the Commonwealth Games. It was his first medal, Jhandu Kumar’s. And it is a very good thing, a matter of honour, a matter of happiness for India; it is a matter of pride. And for the rest, as you are seeing on all the channels, from selling vegetables to a Commonwealth medal, you can imagine how full of struggle his journey must have been. But since 2023 he has been training with us at SAI Gandhinagar; he trains very well, with dedication, he is a very good boy.”
Rahelu also expressed his joy that Jhandu’s medal was won on the same Glasgow stage where he had earned a silver medal 12 years earlier in 2014. “I am very happy, because for me this happiness is doubled, that 12 years ago in the Commonwealth I myself won a medal, a silver medal, and 12 years later today on that same stage, the stage in Glasgow where I won a medal, on that same stage my student has won a medal, so it is a matter of great happiness for me,” he said.
The coach added that the Indian team is preparing for the Para Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, scheduled for October, while the main long-term goal remains winning a medal at the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. He said, “Next, right now we are preparing for the Para Asian Games in Japan; we are preparing for that. But our main target is a Paralympic medal, which will be in LA (Los Angeles) in 2028; that is the target we are working towards.”
