Three years ago, Jhandu Kumar was driving an e-rickshaw on the streets of Harnaut in BiharNalanda district to support his family.On Friday evening, the 29-year-old completed one of the most remarkable journeys in Indian parasport by winning bronze in the men’s para powerlifting event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.Jhandu finished with 130.9 points after a best lift of 190 kg, becoming India’s first medalist in this edition of the Commonwealth Games. However, for the national record holder, the medal meant much more than a place on the podium.“Sometimes it is hard to believe how far I have come. But I am proud that I have done something for my country and for Bihar. I had the opportunity to represent India. That gives me immense happiness,” Jhandu told STOI from Glasgow on Saturday.
CJP Jantar Mantar Protest Updates
His journey has been defined by sacrifice as much as by success.Affected by polio at the age of five, Jhandu spent years helping his family run their vegetable business in Harnaut Bazaar. Every day he would travel nearly 20 km to Bihar Sharif to buy vegetables before returning to sell in the market. Once the day’s work was over, he would go to Rockstar Gym, where he trained under Gautam Singh.
“I met him for the first time in 2019. There was a wedding in a village near mine, and that’s where we met. The moment I saw him, I felt that this boy had something special,” Gautam recalled. “After his request, in 2020, I opened my gym in Harnaut, and in two months I joined. Since then, we have been training together continuously.”The gym soon became Jhandu’s second home, where he spent three to four hours every evening training.Then, when the family shop had to be temporarily closed during the Covid-19, he took to driving an e-rickshaw to support his family.Although he believed it would make life easier, the long hours left him too tired to train properly. Despite the challenges, she won her first national medal at the National Para Powerlifting Championships in Kolkata in 2022.Convinced that powerlifting was his future, Jhandu eventually sold the e-rickshaw a year later to finance his participation in the National Para Powerlifting Championships in New Delhi.Ironically, the bet seemed to fail when he was unable to register a successful lift at the competition. But his determination caught the attention of national head coach Rajinder Singh Rahelu, who invited him to train at the Sports Authority of India’s National Center of Excellence in Gandhinagar.The move transformed his career. Within three years, Jhandu had become one of India’s leading powerlifters, winning medals at home and abroad, setting the national record in the 72kg category with a lift of 206kg and earning qualification for the Commonwealth Games.There was, however, a hint of disappointment at the end of Friday in Glasgow, as he narrowly missed out on silver, or even gold. Still, standing on the CWG podium was a moment he had dreamed of for years.“This journey has never been mine alone. Everyone has played a role in helping me reach this level. Without their support, I don’t think I would have made it this far,” he said. “My journey is not over yet. I still have the Asian Games and hopefully the Paralympics ahead of me.”Back home in Harnaut, celebrations broke out as family, friends and neighbors rejoiced at the success of the man who once sold vegetables and drove an e-rickshaw to keep his sporting dream alive.“It is a huge achievement. People today see you as a Commonwealth Games medalist, but very few know how difficult his journey has been,” said Jhandu’s elder brother Kundan.
By afternoon, Kundan had distributed nearly 5 kg of ‘Black Atom Bomb’, a popular sweet in the region. And her parents, Ramanand Paswan and Kamala Devi, couldn’t be happier.“Jhandu spoke to our mother just before the event and blessed her, saying: ‘Son, wherever you compete, make sure you raise the Indian tricolor’. These were his words from the heart, and he fulfilled this blessing,” said Kundan, who admitted that he could hardly sleep through the night due to excitement.His father, who worked as a keeper in the store of the Bihar State Cooperative Marketing Union for nearly five decades while also selling vegetables, now hopes that his son’s achievement will finally help the family secure a shop in the new complex after years of waiting.While the family dreams of a better future, the CWG bronze has also strengthened hopes of an even bigger breakthrough on the international stage.“The Bihar government will provide them with the necessary support to effectively train them for a successful campaign in LA 2028,” said Raveendran Sankaran, director general as CEO of the state Sports Authority of Bihar.For Jhandu, the insurance comes at a crucial stage in his career. After years of funding his own dream – selling vegetables, driving an e-rickshaw and even selling to continue competing – he now has the support to pursue an even bigger goal – a Paralympic medal in Los Angeles.