Jhandu Kumar recorded a best successful lift of 190 kg for 130.9 points. He opened with 181 kg, improved to 190 kg on his second attempt, and attempted 196 kg in search of gold and a Games record. The final lift was unsuccessful, leaving him with bronze.
The result marked the latest stage in a journey that began with polio contracted at the age of five. His parents, vegetable sellers, spent their limited savings on treatment. “Whatever money my parents had, they spent it on me. Nothing was left,” he told IANS. After the money was exhausted, his father once said that everything had become “jhand” (ruined). Neighbours turned the word into a taunt that followed the boy into government offices and daily life.
Eventually Kumar chose to reclaim the name. When officials at a block office laughed upon learning that the man listed as Avinash on paper was the same person called Jhandu outside, he decided the nickname would become official. Today every document carries the name Jhandu Kumar.
Formal education ended at Class 8. Mobility difficulties and the distance to school led him to join his parents at the vegetable stall from the age of eight or nine. Sport entered his life later. Inspired by a film, he began training when a gym finally opened about a kilometre from home. Without a wheelchair or tricycle at first, progress was slow. A government-issued tricycle later made regular attendance possible.
Nutrition remained a constant obstacle. Protein supplements costing several thousand rupees were beyond the family’s means; he trained in short bursts whenever he could afford a single box. Neighbours continued to question his ambitions, which only strengthened his resolve.
An early coach, Kundan Pandey, steered him from shot put and discus into powerlifting. When the local gym closed, Kumar travelled five kilometres to another facility run by Gautam, who provided training support, supplements and encouragement. The pair later persuaded Gautam to relocate the gym closer to Harnaut, enabling more consistent sessions. Kumar won his first state para powerlifting title in 2020.
Financial setbacks persisted. Construction of an overbridge disrupted the family’s vegetable trade. Kumar started his own small stall, rising at 4 a.m. to travel 20 km to the wholesale market, selling until evening and then training. Daily earnings of a few hundred rupees proved insufficient. After further disputes over vending space he drove an e-rickshaw for six months to repay a loan, losing valuable training time.
A bronze at the 2022 National Championships in Kolkata brought a Rs 50,000 state award and a measure of village respect. When business collapsed again he sold the e-rickshaw to fund six months of preparation for the 2023 Nationals, only to fail all three lifts. Shortly afterwards, Commonwealth medallist and coach Rajinder Singh Rahelu invited him to the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence in Gandhinagar.
Structured coaching, better facilities and support from teammates transformed his trajectory. Kumar won silver at the Khelo India Para Games, became national champion, broke the national record with a 206 kg lift in the 72 kg category, and collected international bronzes at a World Cup in China and the Asia & Oceania Championships in Thailand before the Commonwealth podium in Glasgow.
Asked whether he had ever considered reverting to the name Avinash, he replied simply: “No one calls me Avinash anymore. Jhandu Kumar is my name now.” The bronze medal has turned a label once used in mockery into a marker of resilience recognised on an international stage.
.jpg)
