India's para powerlifting team celebrated a significant achievement at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after Jhandu Kumar secured the bronze medal, prompting an emotional reaction from national coach Jitender Pal Singh. Speaking after the event, Singh described the podium finish as a proud moment for Indian para powerlifting and said the result demonstrated the country's ability to compete with the world's best athletes. Jhandu's medal also marked India's first para powerlifting medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Expressing his delight, Jitender Pal Singh said winning a medal in para powerlifting at the Commonwealth Games carries immense significance because of the high standard of competition. He described the discipline as one of the toughest among para sports and said a podium finish at the Commonwealth Games indicates an athlete has the potential to compete for medals at the Paralympic level. Singh added that the team's happiness was beyond words after maintaining India's tradition of winning medals in para powerlifting at the Games.

The coach admitted there had been pressure on the team heading into the event because Indian para powerlifters have consistently delivered medals at previous Commonwealth Games. He said there was concern that the streak could come to an end, making Jhandu's bronze medal especially satisfying. According to Singh, the achievement reflected both the athlete's dedication and the team's hard work throughout the preparation period.

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Reflecting on the competition, Singh revealed that Jhandu had been in contention for the gold medal before falling short in his final attempt. The Indian lifter successfully lifted 181kg in his opening attempt, earning 124.7 points, before improving to 190kg in his second lift for 130.9 points, briefly moving to the top of the standings. In his final attempt, he opted for 196kg, a lift that would have surpassed the Commonwealth Games record set at Birmingham 2022, but was unable to complete it, eventually finishing with the bronze medal.

Earlier in the competition, India's other para powerlifters narrowly missed out on podium finishes. Ashok finished fourth in the men's lightweight final after recording a personal-best lift of 200kg for 143.8 points, while Paramjeet Kumar placed seventh with a best lift of 176kg. In the women's lightweight category, Jaspreet Kaur finished sixth with a successful lift of 100kg, while Suman Devi placed seventh with the same weight. Kasthuri Rajamani was unable to register a valid lift in the women's heavyweight final after failing all three attempts.

Jhandu Kumar's bronze provided India with its breakthrough medal in para powerlifting at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and highlighted the country's growing strength in the sport. Despite narrowly missing out on a higher finish, the performance reinforced India's competitiveness on the international stage and offered encouragement ahead of future global events, with the coaching staff expressing confidence that Indian para powerlifters can continue challenging for medals at the highest level.

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