India’s First Medal and Para Powerlifting Results
India concluded Day 2 of the Commonwealth Games with its first medal, alongside several encouraging performances across various events. Jhandu Kumar secured the bronze medal in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event, marking India’s entry onto the medal tally. The 28-year-old athlete achieved 130.9 points after successfully lifting 181kg and then 190kg. His final attempt at 196kg was not completed. The other Indian participant in the event, Sudhir, finished sixth with 114.1 points.
In the same event, Idris Riluwan of Nigeria claimed the gold medal with 132.8 points, while Matthew Harding secured silver with 131 points.
India also saw close calls in other para powerlifting categories. Ashok Malik finished fourth in the men’s lightweight para powerlifting event with 143.8 points, just missing a podium finish. Mark Swan of England won gold with 153.9 points, Nigeria’s Roland Ezuruike took silver with 153.9 points, and Malaysia’s Bonnie Bunyau Gustin earned bronze. Paramjeet Kumar, another Indian competitor, placed seventh with 135.6 points.
Swimming and Boxing Performances
In para swimming, Karthik Budigina nearly secured a medal, finishing fourth in the men’s 100m Freestyle S13 final. Budigina recorded a time of 57.57 seconds, while his teammate Imam Ali finished seventh with 1:03.73. The gold medal in this event went to South Africa’s Nathan Hendricks, who clocked 54.54 seconds. Scotland’s Stephen Clegg won silver in 55.16 seconds, and England’s Matthew Redfern took bronze in 56.86 seconds. Both Budigina and Ali had advanced to the final after qualifying from the heats, where Budigina finished third with 57.10 seconds and Ali with 1:05.32 seconds.
Indian boxer Jadumani Singh began his campaign successfully in the men’s 55kg competition. He defeated Scotland’s Aaron Cullen by unanimous decision in the Round of 32, advancing to the pre-quarterfinals where he is set to face Pakistan’s Sumama Rehman.
However, Srihari Nataraj’s journey in the men’s 50m backstroke concluded in the semifinals. The Indian swimmer placed seventh in his race with a time of 25.29 seconds, which was not enough to qualify for the final. South Africa’s Pieter Coetze was the fastest qualifier with 24.29 seconds, followed by compatriot Ruard van Renen with 24.56 seconds, and England’s Oliver Morgan with 24.65 seconds.
Lawn Bowls Success
India also experienced a strong day in lawn bowls. The women’s pairs team, consisting of Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh, secured their second consecutive victory. They defeated South Africa 2-0 (6-4, 7-5) in their Section B match held at the Scottish Event Campus Hall 3.
In the men’s singles, Putul Sonowal continued his winning streak. Following his initial win against Ryan Bester of Canada, Sonowal achieved another victory against Cecil Alexander of the Falkland Islands. The match was decided by a tie-break after the sets ended 1-1. Sonowal overcame a 3-4 deficit to win the first set 7-5, before Alexander claimed the second set 8-6. Sonowal then secured the win in the tie-break.
Jhandu Kumar, originally from Bihar, transitioned to para powerlifting in 2022 after competing in para athletics, where he earned district and state-level medals in shot put and discus throw. He also participated in able-bodied powerlifting competitions. In 2025, he set a national record in the men’s 72kg category by lifting 205kg at the National Championships, and later improved it to 206kg at the Khelo India Para Games in New Delhi.
He also earned bronze medals at both the World Para Powerlifting World Cup and the Asia-Oceania Open Championships, and finished among the top six at the World Para Powerlifting Championships.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Arjun Sharma
Sports Reporter