Para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar secured the bronze medal in the men’s heavyweight event at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, marking India’s first podium finish in para powerlifting at the competition.
Jhandu Kumar, originally named Abhinav Kumar, revealed he contracted polio at the age of five. His parents spent all their savings on his treatment, leading to financial hardship. In response to a childhood taunt about burdening his family financially, he adopted the name ‘Jhandu Kumar’ as a symbol of resilience. He stated, “When I was about five years old, just a young child, I contracted polio. My parents took me for extensive treatment; my original name is Abhinav Kumar. The treatment consumed all our financial resources; we exhausted our entire capital. Neighbours and others comment, ‘tum toh sab paisa barbaad kar di, tum mummy papa ko Jhand kar diya, jhandu kar diya’ (You’ve wasted all the money; you’ve ruined your parents, left them ‘Jhandu.’ )So, I decided to keep the name ‘Jhandu Kumar.’”
To support his family through these financial difficulties, Jhandu took on various jobs including selling vegetables and driving an electric rickshaw. Inspired by the physique of Salman Khan in a film, he began visiting a gym despite initially having no passion for bodybuilding. Through strength training, he discovered para powerlifting and developed his sporting career.
“I did so many things to reach this point. I sold vegetables, drove an electric rickshaw (Toto), and ferried passengers. It was also due to the difficult financial situation at home… I started going to the gym after seeing Salman Khan. I did not initially have a passion for bodybuilding; I just saw his physique in one of his movies and thought it looked impressive. There was no gym in my village at first…I started one day, and gradually, I began building my biceps and triceps, and that is how I discovered this sport,” he said.
At the SEC Armadillo in Glasgow, Jhandu lifted 181 kg successfully on his first attempt, advanced to 190 kg on his second, and earned 130.9 points. He attempted 196 kg in his final lift, which would have surpassed the Commonwealth Games record set in Birmingham 2022, but was unable to complete it, finishing third overall.
The Indian Para Powerlifting Team Head Coach, Jai Prakash Singh, attributed Jhandu Kumar’s achievement to the combined support of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). He also expressed thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for backing Indian para sports.
“The result achieved by Jhandu Kumar today is the outcome of the collaborative support and cooperation of the Sports Authority of India, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Paralympic Committee of India led by Devendra Jhajharia, under whose guidance the entire Para Committee operates, and the Indian Olympic Association. I extend special thanks to the Sports Authority of India, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and our Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Singh told ANI.
