A former vegetable vendor and e-rickshaw driver, Jhandu has now secured a spot on the CWG podium | Commonwealth Games News

Three years ago, Jhandu Kumar was driving an e-rickshaw on the streets of Harnaut BiharNalanda district to support his family.On Friday night, the 29-year-old completed one of the most remarkable journeys of an Indian para sport by winning bronze in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.Jhandu finished with 130.9 points after a best lift of 190kg, becoming India’s first medalist in this edition of the Commonwealth Games. However, for the national record holder, the medal means more than a place on the podium.“Sometimes it’s hard to believe how far I have come. But I am proud that I have done something for my country and for Bihar. I got a chance to represent India. That gives me great joy,” Jhandu told STOI from Glasgow on Saturday.

His journey is 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 in Harnaut Bazaar. Every day he travels nearly 20km to Bihar Sharif to buy vegetables before returning to sell them in the market. When the day’s work is over, he goes to the Rockstar Gym, where he trains under Gautam Singh.

“I first met him in 2019. There was a wedding in a village near mine, and we met there. The moment I saw him, I felt that this boy had something special,” Gautam recalled. “Later at his request, in 2020, I opened my gym in Harnaut, and within two months he joined. Since then, we have been training continuously.”The gym soon became Jhandu’s second home, where he spent three to four hours a night training.Then, when the family shop had to be temporarily closed during Covid-19, he drove an e-rickshaw to support his family.Although he believed it would make life easier, the long hours made him too tired to train properly. Despite the challenges, he won his first national medal at the National Para Powerlifting Championships in Kolkata in 2022.Convinced that powerlifting was his future, Jhandu eventually sold the e-rickshaw a year ago to fund his participation in the National Para Powerlifting Championships in New Delhi.Surprisingly, the gamble seems to have failed when he did not register a successful lift in the competition. But his determination caught the eye of chief national coach Rajinder Singh Rahela, who invited him to train at the Sports Authority of India’s National Center of Excellence in Gandhinagar.The move changed his career. Within three years, Jhandu became one of India’s leading para powerlifters, winning medals at home and abroad, setting a national record in the 72kg category with a 206kg lift and earning qualification for the Commonwealth Games.There was, however, a hint of disappointment 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 dreamed of for years.“This journey I am never alone. Everyone 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 is not over yet. I still have the Asian Games and, hopefully, the Paralympics ahead of me.”At the Harnaut home, celebrations began as family, friends and neighbors rejoiced in the success of the man who once sold vegetables and drove an e-rickshaw to pursue his sporting dream.“It was a huge achievement. People see her now as a Commonwealth Games medalist, but few know how difficult her journey was,” said Jhandu’s elder brother, Kundan.

In the afternoon, Kundan distributed almost 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 before the event and blessed her, saying, ‘Son, wherever you compete, make sure you raise the Indian tricolour.’ Those were his words from the heart, and he fulfilled that blessing,” said Kundan, who admitted he barely slept through the night because of the excitement.His father, who worked as a warehouse caretaker at the Bihar State Cooperative Marketing Union for almost five decades while also selling vegetables, now hopes that his son’s success 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 also strengthens the hope of a greater success on the international stage.“The Bihar government will provide him the support required to train effectively for a successful LA 2028 campaign,” said Raveendran Sankaran, director general-cum-CEO of the Bihar State Sports Authority.For Jhandu, the certainty 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 keep competing — he now has the support to chase an even bigger goal — a Paralympic medal in Los Angeles.