Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar after he secured India’s first medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 by winning bronze in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event in Glasgow.
Sharing a photograph of Jhandu on X, the Prime Minister praised his achievement and perseverance. “A spectacular performance by Jhandu Kumar, who has opened India’s medal tally at the #CWG2026 by winning a Bronze in the Men’s Heavyweight Para Powerlifting event! Congratulations to him. His achievement is a powerful reflection of immense strength, unwavering determination and years of disciplined effort. By overcoming every challenge and excelling on the international stage, he has made the entire nation proud and inspired countless Indians,” he wrote.
Jhandu claimed the bronze medal with a best successful lift of 190kg, earning 130.9 points. He began his campaign with a lift of 181kg, scoring 124.7 points, before improving to 190kg in his second attempt, which briefly put him atop the standings.
He attempted 196kg in his final lift, which would have broken the Commonwealth Games record set at Birmingham 2022, but he was unable to complete the lift and finished third to claim the bronze.
This medal marked India’s first podium finish in para powerlifting at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
In earlier competition, Ashok narrowly missed a medal, finishing fourth in the men’s lightweight final with a personal-best lift of 200kg, scoring 143.8 points. Paramjeet Kumar placed seventh in the same event, with a best lift of 176kg.
In the women’s lightweight competition, Jaspreet Kaur finished sixth after lifting 100kg, while Suman Devi was seventh with the same successful lift. Kasthuri Rajamani, competing in the women’s heavyweight category, failed to register a valid lift after all three of her attempts were unsuccessful.
