From Poverty To Glasgow Podium: How Polio Survivor Jhandu Kumar Lifted An Entire Nation - See The Best Photos

Jhandu Kumar opened India's medal tally at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 by clinching the bronze medal in the men's heavyweight para powerlifting event. The 29-year-old polio survivor from Bihar's Nalanda district overcame years of severe poverty and odd jobs to secure a spot on the podium. Competing in Group B with a body weight of 72.4kg, Kumar successfully lifted an impressive 190kg on his second attempt, earning 130.9 points under the specialised coefficient formula used to score lifts fairly against heavier/lighter competitors. He missed out on the silver medal by a mere 0.1 points to England's Matthew Harding, while Nigeria's Riluwan Idris captured the gold with 132.8 points. Meanwhile, India’s defending champion Sudhir Singh (in Group A) fell short of the podium, finishing sixth with 114.1 points after missing his final 211kg push. Nigeria won three of the four available para powerlifting gold medals in a show of total domination.