Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar after the Indian athlete won the country’s first medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, securing bronze in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event in Glasgow on Saturday.Taking to X, the Prime Minister praised Jhandu’s achievement and lauded the dedication that helped him reach the podium on the international stage.
“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 to register India’s first medal of the Glasgow Games.The Indian lifter began the competition with a successful 181kg lift, which fetched him 124.7 points. He then improved to 190kg on his second attempt, a lift that briefly moved him to the top of the leaderboard.Chasing the gold medal, Jhandu opted for 196kg on his final attempt, a weight that would have surpassed the Commonwealth Games record established at Birmingham 2022. However, he could not complete the lift and settled for the bronze medal.The podium finish also gave India its first para powerlifting medal of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.Earlier in the day, Ashok fell just short of a medal in the men’s lightweight final. He finished fourth after producing a personal-best lift of 200kg, which earned him 143.8 points. Paramjeet Kumar ended seventh in the same event with a best lift of 176kg.India also had three women in action. Jaspreet Kaur finished sixth in the women’s lightweight category after successfully lifting 100kg, while Suman Devi placed seventh with the same successful effort. In the women’s heavyweight event, Kasthuri Rajamani was unable to record a valid lift after failing in all three of her attempts.
