"People laughed at my name," says India's CWG 2026 medallist Jhandu Kumar

When Jhandu Kumar's name echoed through the arena after he secured India's first medal of the Commonwealth Games, it carried a weight far greater than the bronze hanging around his neck.

"Jhandu" was a name thrust upon him after his parents spent everything they had trying to cure his polio.

Today, the name has made India proud.

The 28-year-old para powerlifter from Bihar clinched the men's heavyweight bronze on Friday with a total of 130.9 points after successful lifts of 181kg and 190kg.

His bold attempt at 196kg, which could have propelled him into contention for a higher medal, ended in disappointment.

"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 told reporters during a SAI interaction.

The failed final lift, however, does not haunt him.

"I took the first lift safely. If I had taken the first lift harder, and if I had failed, there would have been a problem for me. The confidence would have been down. 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.

"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 (barbell) got stuck in the rack."

Long before he was calculating medal-winning attempts, the Bihar power lifter was fighting battles far away from the sporting arena.

Polio and taunts

Polio had struck him when he was five.

"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?'"

The taunts did not stop there. His unusual first name has a painful origin.

His family spent everything they had trying to treat him after he contracted polio.

Friends of his father mocked the family, saying, "Aap ka beta sab jhandu kar diya, sab paisa khatam kar diya (Your son has wasted all your money)." The nickname stayed.

He once tried to change it to Avinash Kumar.

But during a visit to a government office, officials called out "Jhandu Kumar".

Curious, they summoned him inside, asked his name repeatedly and burst into laughter.

"I felt if everyone is having a good laugh at my name... then this name is good only."

From that day, he embraced the name.

"Now in all our documents, it is Jhandu Kumar. So, there is no existence of Avinash Kumar any more."

Life remained a struggle. His parents still sell vegetables in their village, while he spent eight or nine months driving an e-rickshaw to finance his diet and supplements.

"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.

"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."

Even operating the vehicle wasn't easy because of his disability.

"I had trouble to push the brake but I managed despite the polio."

Road to powerlifting

The road to para powerlifting was equally accidental.

Initially a shot putter, Jhandu had never heard of para powerlifting until Bihar coach Kundan Pandey spotted his physique and suggested he try the sport.

He took the advice, competed in a state championship in Sasaram and gradually worked his way through the ranks despite limited financial support and interrupted training.

Winning bronze at the national championships in 2022 strengthened his belief that he could achieve something bigger.

The same year, Sudhir won Commonwealth Games gold.

"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.

Now training at the Sports Authority of India's National Centre of Excellence in Gandhinagar, Jhandu says his sporting needs are taken care of, even though life back home remains modest.

"My parents are happy, sweets have been distributed in my village."

The Commonwealth Games bronze is only the beginning.

"My journey has started, next I have Para Asian Games and Paralympics for which I have to prepare."

He has already set himself an even bigger target.

"There is a record of 232kg. I want to break that record," he signed off.