India’s Jhandu Kumar celebrates his bronze medal. (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: When “Jhandu Kumar” echoed across the Commonwealth Games arena in Glasgow, it was no longer a name that invited ridicule. It was a name that had just delivered India’s first medal of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.For years, Bihar’s para powerlifter had endured taunts over a name born out of tragedy. On Friday, he turned that painful identity into a symbol of resilience, winning bronze in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event and scripting one of India’s most inspiring stories of the Games. The 28-year-old secured bronze with 130.9 points after successful lifts of 181kg and 190kg. A daring final attempt at 196kg, which could have pushed him into gold-medal contention, narrowly slipped away.

Yet, standing on the podium, Jhandu was thinking less about the missed opportunity and more about the remarkable journey that brought him there.“The happiness is overwhelming. I haven’t been able to sleep since last night… Even when I lie down, sleep just doesn’t come,” he said during a Sports Authority of India interaction.

The painful story behind the name ‘Jhandu’

Long before he became India’s medal winner, Jhandu was a five-year-old battling polio in a small Bihar village.“My family says that I got polio when I was 5 years old. I had to sit down and walk… People used to taunt me. They used to say, ‘Now that he has become disabled, what will he do?’,” he said.His unusual first name came from another painful chapter. His parents exhausted their savings trying to treat his illness. Family friends mocked the situation, saying, “Aap ka beta sab jhandu kar diya, sab paisa khatam kar diya” (Your son has wasted all your money).The nickname stuck. For a while, he tried to escape it by changing his name to Avinash Kumar. But during a visit to a government office, officials repeatedly called out “Jhandu Kumar.”Recalling the incident, he said officials called him inside after repeatedly calling out “Jhandu Kumar” and burst into laughter when he confirmed his name. Instead of hiding from it, he chose to own it.“I felt if everyone is having a good laugh at my name… then this name is good only,” he said. “Now in all our documents, it is Jhandu Kumar. So, there is no existence of Avinash Kumar any more.”

India’s Jhandu Kumar (PTI Photo)

From e-rickshaw driver to CWG medallist

To afford supplements and maintain his training, Jhandu spent eight to nine months driving an e-rickshaw.“I drove the e-rickshaw for my diet. I thought I will earn Rs 200-400 and have supplements with that and continue my gym,” he said.“I used to go to gym in the evening but the problem was I used to get tired after driving all day, so gym time was getting reduced,” he explained as driving was difficult because of the effects of polio.His sporting career itself began almost by chance. Initially a shot putter, he was persuaded to switch to para powerlifting by Bihar coach Kundan Pandey, who recognised his natural strength.In 2022, watching Sudhir win Commonwealth Games gold ignited a dream.“When our gym owner told me Sudhir bhai had lifted 212kg and won the Commonwealth Games, I said I will also do it. I thought I have to do it for my country,” he said.

Bronze today, bigger dreams tomorrow

Jhandu approached the competition with a clear strategy: “My aim was to pass the first lift. After that, the second lift was to get into medal tally. The third lift was for the gold medal.”The final attempt failed because of a technical error.“I could not get the gold medal. It was a technical fault. I made a mistake in my breathing in haste. When I was going up, I did the lift right. But when I went out, it got stuck in the rack,” he added.Now training at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence in Gandhinagar, he says life remains modest back home, where his parents continue to sell vegetables.But the bronze medal is only the beginning. His ultimate ambition is already set.“My journey has started. Next I have Para Asian Games and Paralympics for which I have to prepare,” he said. “There is a record of 232kg. I want to break that record.”