Jhandu Kumar Wins India's 1st Medal At CWG 2026, Para Swimmer Karthik Budigina Finishes 4th

Last Updated:July 25, 2026, 02:28 IST

Jhandu Kumar amassed 130.9 points to finish on the podium in the men's heavyweight para powerlifting after successfully lifting 181kg and 190kg. 

India’s Jhandu Kumar overcame a childhood marked by polio, poverty and years of doing odd jobs to win the bronze medal in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event at the Commonwealth Games on Friday, delivering India’s first medal of the competition.

CWG 2026: Full Coverage | Medals Tally | Schedule | News

The 28-year-old amassed 130.9 points to finish on the podium after successfully lifting 181kg and 190kg.

The other Indian in the event, Sudhir (114.1 points), finished sixth.

Meanwhile Ashok Malik narrowly missed out on a medal in the men’s lightweight competition, finishing fourth with 143.8 points, while Paramjeet Kumar ended seventh with 135.6 points.

In the women’s heavyweight final, Kasthuri Rajamani failed all three of her attempts whereas Jaspreet Kaur and Suman Devi also missed out on medals in the women’s lightweight final.

Budigina finishes fourth

India narrowly missed out on a para-swimming medal after Karthik Budigina finished fourth in the men’s 100m Freestyle S13 final. Budigina clocked 57.57 seconds to finish just outside the podium.

The other Indian in the event, Imam Ali, finished seventh with a time of 1:03.73.

In the able-bodied events, Srihari Nataraj’s campaign suffered a setback as he failed to qualify for the men’s 50m backstroke final, finishing seventh in the semifinals.

Jadumani defeats local favourite in Round of 32

Indian boxer Jadumani Singh registered a comfortable victory over local favourite Aaron Cullen in the men’s 55kg Round of 32 match.

Competing in front of a partisan home crowd, Jadumani proved technically and tactically superior, defeating the Scot by a unanimous decision to book his place in the pre-quarterfinals, where he will face Sumama Rehman of Pakistan.

India beat South Africa in lawn bowls

India produced another dominant performance to register their second successive victory in the women’s pairs lawn bowls event. The Indian duo of Rupa Rani Tirkey (lead) and Pinki Singh (skip) defeated South Africa’s Thabelo Muvhango and Jacqui Janse van Rensburg 2-0 (6-4, 7-5) in their second Section B match at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Hall 3.

The South African pair put up a spirited fight but were outplayed by the Indians, who now sit at the top of the Section B standings.

Sonowal wins again

Assam Police officer Putul Sonowal, who made headlines on Thursday by defeating reigning world champion Ryan Bester of Canada in his opening match, was pushed to the limit before overcoming Cecil Alexander of the Falkland Islands in a tie-break during the second round of Section D.

The 43-year-old Indian recovered from a 3-4 deficit to win the opening set 7-5. However, Alexander responded strongly to claim the second set 8-6, levelling the match at 1-1.

With the contest going into a tie-break, Sonowal held his nerve and clinched the decisive point to seal another hard-fought victory.

About the Author

Harshit BishtSenior Sub-editor

Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist at CNN-News18, where he has been covering cricket, football, and major sporting events from around the world since July 1, 2024. Driven by a passion for storytelli...Read More

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