Commonwealth Games 2026 : All you need to know about Sudhir

Sudhir is a former Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games para powerlifting gold medallist whose title was later stripped following an anti-doping violation.

A member of India's para powerlifting team for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, he will look to return to the podium after serving his suspension.

A six-time national champion, Sudhir also won a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Para Games.

Early life

Sudhir, born on October 27, 1994, is the son of a farmer from Lath village in Sonipat, Haryana. He contracted polio at the age of four following a high fever.

He took up para powerlifting seriously in 2013 and made his international debut at the 2018 Asian Para Games, where he won a bronze medal. Tragically, his father passed away on the same day.

Sudhir later completed a BA in Sanskrit from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, and now works as a Senior Weightlifting Coach with the Government of Haryana. He trains under former Indian wrestler Jitender Pal Singh (JP Singh).

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he became India's first-ever para powerlifting champion, winning gold at the age of 27.

Major achievements

Sudhir produced a historic performance at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, lifting 208kg on his opening attempt before improving to 212kg on his second lift to secure India's first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal in para powerlifting.

His winning effort also set a new Games record of 134.5 points. He attempted 217kg on his final lift but was unsuccessful.

Before that breakthrough, he claimed bronze in the men's up to 80kg category at the 2018 Asian Para Games and won silver at the 2022 African Open World Para Powerlifting Championships in Cairo.

Domestically, Sudhir is a six-time national champion. At the 2022 National Championships in Kolkata, he lifted 232kg to win the men's under-88kg title and was previously named the "Strong Man of India" at the 2018 National Para Powerlifting Championships.

The doping scandal

Sudhir's career suffered a major setback when a Commonwealth Games Federation Independent Tribunal ruled on July 21, 2023, that his Birmingham 2022 results be disqualified after an in-competition sample collected on August 4, 2022, tested positive for morphine, a prohibited narcotic.

In April 2024, the International Paralympic Committee imposed a two-year suspension, effective from December 19, 2022, to December 18, 2024.

The ban ruled him out of the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Earlier, he had also missed the Tokyo Paralympics after testing positive for COVID-19 shortly before the team's departure.

Eyes on Glasgow

The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be Sudhir's first major multi-sport event since completing his suspension, offering him an opportunity to rebuild his international career.

A podium finish in Glasgow would mark a significant comeback for the Haryana lifter as he looks to re-establish himself among the world's leading para powerlifters while contributing to India's medal campaign.