NEW DELHI: When ‘Jhandu Kumar’ echoes across the Glasgow Commonwealth Games grounds, it is no longer a name that invites ridicule. The name just won India its first medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.For years, Bihar’s para-weightlifters have been ridiculed for a name born out of tragedy. On Friday, he transformed that painful identity into a symbol of resilience, winning a bronze medal in the men’s heavyweight weightlifting competition and crafting one of the most inspiring stories of the Indian Olympics. The 28-year-old won the bronze medal with 130.9 points after successfully lifting 181kg and 190kg. A bold final attempt at 196kg, which would have put him in the gold medal match, narrowly missed him.
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Standing on the podium, however, Jandu thought less about the missed opportunity and more about the remarkable journey that got him there.“The happiness is overwhelming. I cannot sleep since last night… Even if I lie down, I cannot sleep,” he said during an interaction with the Sports Authority of India.
The painful story behind the name “Jhandu”
Long before he became an Indian medalist, Jandu was a five-year-old boy in a small village in Bihar, battling polio.“My family said I got polio when I was five years old. I had to sit down to walk… People used to laugh at me. They used to say, ‘Now that he’s disabled, what will he do?'” he said.His unusual name comes from another painful chapter. His parents spent all their savings trying to treat his illness. Family friends laughed at the situation and said, “Aap ka beta sab jhandu kar diya, sab paisa khatam kar diya” (Your son has wasted all your money).The nickname is stuck. For a while, he tried to escape it by changing his name to Avinash Kumar. But during visits to government offices, officials shouted out “Jhandu Kumar” several times.Recalling the incident, he said the officials called him inside after repeatedly shouting “Jhandu Kumar” and when he confirmed his name, they burst into laughter. Instead of running away from it, he chose to own it.“I feel like if everyone laughs at my name… then it’s a good name,” he said. “Now in all our documents, it is Jandu Kumar. So, Avinash Kumar no longer exists.”
India’s Jandu Kumar (PTI Photo)
From e-rickshaw driver to CWG medalist
To pay for supplements and maintain training, Jandu spent eight to nine months driving an e-rickshaw.“I drove an e-rickshaw to diet. I thought I would earn Rs 200-400 and then use these supplements and continue my gym,” he said.“I used to go to the gym in the evenings, but the problem was that I used to feel tired after driving all day, so I had less and less time to go to the gym,” he said, explaining that driving was difficult due to the effects of polio.His sporting career itself began almost by accident. Initially a shot putter, Bihar coach Kundan Pandey recognized his natural strength and convinced him to switch to para-weightlifting.Watching Sudhir win the Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2022 ignited his dream.“When our gym owner told me that Sudhir bhai lifted 212kg and won the Commonwealth Games, I said I will do the same. I thought I have to do it for my country,” he said.
Today’s bronze medal, tomorrow’s bigger dream
Jandu approaches the competition with a clear strategy: “My goal is to pass the first lift. After that, the second lift is to get into the medal table. The third lift is to compete for the gold medal.”The final attempt failed due to a technical error.“I didn’t get the gold medal. It was a technical glitch. I made a breathing mistake in my rush. When I went up, I did the lift right. But when I went out, it got stuck on the rack,” he added.Now training at the National Sports Authority of India’s National Center of Excellence in Gandhinagar, he says life at home remains simple and his parents continue to sell vegetables there.But the bronze medal is just the beginning. His ultimate ambition was set.“My journey has begun. Next I have to prepare for the Paralympics and the Paralympic Games,” he said. “There is a record of 232 kilograms. I want to break this record.”
