Glasgow, July 25: India’s Jhandu Kumar secured a bronze medal in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event at the Commonwealth Games 2026, adding another medal to the country’s tally in Glasgow on Friday.
Competing in a two-group field, Jhandu topped Group B with a best result of 130.9, comfortably finishing ahead of Uganda’s Dennis Mbaziira (114.1) and Australia’s Ben Wright (110.9) to advance into medal contention.
In the combined standings, however, Nigeria’s Riluwan Idris produced the best overall lift of 132.8 to clinch the gold medal, while England’s Matthew Harding claimed silver with 131.0. Jhandu’s effort of 130.9 was enough to secure the bronze medal, finishing just 0.1 behind Harding in a closely contested battle for silver.
The bronze continues India’s encouraging run in para sports at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, with Jhandu displaying remarkable consistency under pressure to earn a podium place.
Born on January 1, 1997, in Harnaut, Nalanda district of Bihar, he was affected by polio since birth. The son of a vegetable vendor, Jhandu comes from a humble family and overcame financial and physical challenges through determination and hard work. He began his sporting career in 2017 as a para athletics athlete. (IANS)
