Interestingly, his mental picture of the prize started long before he stepped on the platform in Scotland
Updated: August 11, 2026, 10:30 PM IST
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Bronze medalist India’s Jhandu Kumar poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland, on Friday, July 24, 2026(Photo: IANS/Biplab Banerjee)
When Indian para-powerlifter Jhandu Kumar secured a bronze medal in the men’s heavyweight category at the Commonwealth Games, he did more than just claim a personal victory, he opened India’s official medal account.
Kumar finished on the podium with a best lift of 190 kg, scoring 130.9 points under the bodyweight coefficient system.
But while the nation celebrated the historic moment, the lifter’s immediate emotional reaction inside his room in Glasgow was one of overwhelming quiet, joy, and total sleeplessness.
Recalling the exact moments after his podium finish, Kumar revealed that the emotional gravity of the medal took hours to fully set in.
Interestingly, his mental picture of the prize started long before he stepped on the platform in ScotlandA month prior to the Games, while training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Gandhinagar, Gujarat, he had saved photos of the official CWG medal from social media on his phone.
“I had seen that medal a month before in Gandhinagar on social media,” Kumar said“I kept telling myself that this medal has to come to IndiaI prayed to God to just give me one opportunity to see our national flag go up there.”
When he arrived in Glasgow, the weight of expectation was heavy“There was pressure because you are representing your whole country,” he admitted“But once I walked into the warm-up area, a completely different surge of energy took over my bodyI saw the competition going on and told myself that I wasn’t going to let this chance slip away.”
Despite facing technical glitches during his attempts—which he believes cost him a shot at the gold medal, Kumar delivered the performance needed to lock in third placeThe real emotional impact arrived once the competition concluded and he walked back to his room with the bronze medal.
“When the medal was confirmed, I was so happy internally that I cannot even explain it in words,” Kumar shared“When I returned to my room wearing that medal around my neck, I couldn’t sleep the entire nightI stayed awake till morning.”
Instead of sleep, the night was filled with vivid memories of his tough pastKumar spent those quiet hours reflecting on every hardship he endured, from contracting polio as a young child in Harnaut, Bihar, to helping his parents sell potatoes and onions in local markets, and pushing through years of physical and financial struggle.
“I just kept remembering my past hard work, where all I had stayed, how much I had struggled, and how I never stopped despite heat or rain,” he said“Sitting in that room in Glasgow, holding that medal, it finally felt like every single sacrifice made over the years was completely worth it.”
(Jhandu Kumar spoke to us exclusively after winning Bronze in CWG)
