'Jhandu Kumar has made the entire nation proud': PM Modi hails India's first CWG 2026 medallist
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Jhandu Kumar has made the entire nation proud': PM Modi hails India's first CWG 2026 medallist")
PM Modi hails India's first CWG 2026 medallist Jhandu Kumar Photograph: (ANI/PTI)
Jhandu Kumar's inspiring journey from driving an e-rickshaw to the Commonwealth podium earned praise from PM Modi after the para powerlifter secured India's first CWG 2026 medal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (Jul 25) congratulated para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar after he won India’s first medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, claiming bronze in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event in Glasgow. Sharing Jhandu’s picture on X, the Prime Minister praised his achievement and praised his determination.
“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.
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PM Modi hails India's first CWG 2026 medallist Jhandu Kumar Photograph: (ANI/PTI)
Jhandu won the bronze medal with a best lift of 190kg, earning 130.9 points to give India its first medal at the Glasgow Games.
He started the event with a successful lift of 181kg, scoring 124.7 points. In his second attempt, he improved to 190kg, which briefly moved him to the top of the standings.
Chasing the gold medal, Jhandu went for 196kg in his final attempt. The lift would have broken the Commonwealth Games record set at Birmingham 2022, but he could not complete it and finished third to secure the bronze.
The medal also became India’s first podium finish in para powerlifting at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
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Earlier, Ashok narrowly missed a medal after finishing fourth in the men’s lightweight final. He recorded a personal-best lift of 200kg and scored 143.8 points. Paramjeet Kumar ended seventh in the same event with a best lift of 176kg.
In the women’s lightweight category, Jaspreet Kaur finished sixth with a successful lift of 100kg, while Suman Devi placed seventh after lifting the same weight.
In the women’s heavyweight event, Kasthuri Rajamani failed to register a valid lift as all three of her attempts were unsuccessful.
With inputs from agencies
