Jhandu Kumar returns to hero's welcome in India after historic CWG 2026 bronze

Jhandu Kumar returned to Delhi to a rousing welcome after winning bronze in para powerlifting at the Commonwealth Games. The medal opened India's account in Glasgow, even as he spoke of missing gold after a technical error.Jhandu Kumar won bronze in men's heavyweight Para Powerlifting at CWG 2026 (Courtesy: PTI)India's first medallist at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar, received a rousing welcome on his return to Delhi after clinching bronze in the men's heavyweight event in Glasgow. Family members, supporters and officials gathered at the airport to celebrate the 28-year-old, whose podium finish gave India its first medal of the Games.While Jhandu expressed gratitude for the warm reception, he admitted there was a sense of unfinished business after narrowly missing out on gold. The para powerlifter said he was proud to have raised the Indian flag on the Commonwealth stage but also pointed to a technical issue that hampered his final attempt.WATCH THE VIDEO:#WATCH | Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games | Indian para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar, who won a bronze in the men's heavyweight category yesterday, recieves a grand welcome as he arrives at the Delhi Airport. pic.twitter.com/EU1XhNLf2Z— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2026"Thank you so much for all the love. It feels amazing. I secured the first medal for India and hoisted our national flag. It's a great feeling," Jhandu told reporters after arriving in Delhi."There is a tinge of disappointment that I couldn't bring home the gold for the country. There are a few areas that need work, and I will focus on them. There was a minor technical error, and my coach was positioned a bit too far away, which caused the issue." JHANDU MISSED GAMES RECORD ATTEMPTCompeting in the men's heavyweight para powerlifting event at the SEC Armadillo, Jhandu opened with a successful lift of 181kg before improving to 190kg on his second attempt. His final lift of 196kg was an ambitious effort that would have broken the Commonwealth Games record set in Birmingham four years ago.However, the Indian lifter was unable to complete the attempt and eventually settled for bronze with a score of 130.9 points under the bodyweight coefficient system used in Commonwealth Games para powerlifting. Unlike conventional weightlifting, medals in the event are decided using a formula that factors in both the athlete's bodyweight and their best successful lift. The bronze also marked India's first podium finish in para powerlifting at the Glasgow Games.INDIA'S MEDAL TALLY GROWSJhandu's bronze opened India's account in Glasgow before weightlifting star Mirabai Chanu added the country's first gold medal with another dominant performance. India has also claimed two silver medals, taking its overall tally to four medals after four days of competition.The haul leaves India eighth in the overall medal standings, with Australia leading the table after collecting 39 medals, including 17 golds. With several medal events still to come across disciplines, India will hope Jhandu's historic podium finish and Mirabai's gold medal provide the momentum for a strong campaign over the remainder of the Commonwealth Games.- EndsPublished On: Jul 27, 2026 12:17 IST