Three years ago, Jhandu Kumar was driving an e-rickshaw through the streets of Harnaut in Bihar’s Nalanda district to support his family.On Friday night, the 29-year-old completed one of Indian para sport’s most remarkable journeys by winning bronze in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event at Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.Jhandu finished with 130.9 points after a best lift of 190kg, becoming India’s first medallist at this edition of the Commonwealth Games. Yet, for the national record holder, the medal meant a lot more than a place on the podium.“Sometimes it’s hard to believe how far I’ve come. But I’m proud that I’ve 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.
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His journey has been defined as much by sacrifice as by success.Affected by polio at the age of five, Jhandu spent years helping his family run their vegetable business at Harnaut Bazaar. Every day he would travel nearly 20km to Bihar Sharif to procure vegetables before returning to sell them in the market. Once the day’s work ended, he would head to Rockstar Gym, where he trained under Gautam Singh.
“I first met him in 2019. There was a wedding in a village near mine, and that’s where we met. The moment I saw him, I felt this boy had something special,” recalled Gautam. “Later at his request, in 2020, I opened my gym in Harnaut, and within two months he joined. Since then, we’ve 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’s shop had to be temporarily shut down during the Covid-19, he took up driving an e-rickshaw to support his family.Although he believed it would make life easier, the long hours left him too exhausted to train properly. Despite the challenges, he won his first national medal at 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 National Para Powerlifting Championships in New Delhi.Ironically, the gamble appeared to have failed when he was unable to register a successful lift at the competition. But his determination caught the eye of chief national coach Rajinder Singh Rahelu, who invited him to train at Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence in Gandhinagar.The move transformed his career. Within three years, Jhandu had become one of India’s leading para powerlifters, winning medals at home and abroad, setting the national record in 72kg category with a 206kg lift and earning qualification for Commonwealth Games.There was, however, a hint of disappointment late on Friday in Glasgow as he narrowly missed out on silver, or even gold. Yet standing on the CWG podium was a moment he had dreamt of for years.“This journey was never 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 isn’t 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 neighbours 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 will see him today as a Commonwealth Games medallist, but very few know how difficult his journey has been,” said Jhandu’s elder brother, Kundan.
By afternoon, Kundan had distributed nearly 5kg of ‘Black Atom Bomb’, a popular sweet in the region. And their parents, Ramanand Paswan and Kamala Devi, couldn’t have been happier.“Jhandu spoke to our mother just before the event and she blessed him, saying, ‘Son, wherever you compete, make sure you raise the Indian tricolour.’ Those were her words from the heart, and he has fulfilled that blessing,” said Kundan, who admitted he could barely sleep the entire night out of excitement.His father, who worked as a caretaker at the Bihar State Cooperative Marketing Union’s warehouse for nearly five decades while also selling vegetables, now hopes 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 govt of Bihar shall provide him with the support needed to train effectively for a successful campaign at LA 2028,” said Raveendran Sankaran, director general-cum-CEO of the Bihar State Sports Authority.For Jhandu, the assurance comes at a crucial stage in his career. After years of funding his own dream — selling vegetables, driving an e-rickshaw and even selling it to continue competing — he now has the backing to chase an even bigger goal — a Paralympic medal in Los Angeles.
