Jhandu, once a vegetable seller and e-rickshaw driver, now on CWG podium | Commonwealth Games News

Three years ago, Jhandu Kumar drove an e-rickshaw through the streets of Harnaut. biharof Nalanda district to raise a family.The 29-year-old completed one of the most remarkable journeys in Indian para sports when he won a bronze medal in the men’s heavyweight para weightlifting event at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games on Friday night.Jandu became India’s first medalist at this Commonwealth Games with a best result of 130.9 points at 190kg. However, for the national record holder, the medal means much more than just a podium finish.“Sometimes it is hard to believe how far I have come. But I am proud that I have done something for my country and Bihar. I got the opportunity to represent India. It gives me immense happiness,” Jandu told STOI in Glasgow on Saturday.

His journey was filled with sacrifice as well as success.Jhandu contracted polio at the age of five and for many years helped his family run their vegetable business in Harnaut Bazaar. Every day he travels nearly 20 kilometers to Bihar Sharif to buy vegetables and then returns to the market to sell them. After a day’s work, he heads to Rockstar Gym where he trains under Gautam Singh.

“I first met him in 2019. There was a wedding in a village near me, and that’s where we met. The moment I saw him, I felt there was something special about this boy,” Gautam recalled. “Later, at his request, in 2020, I opened my own gym in Harnot and within two months he joined. We have been training together since then.”The gym quickly became Jandu’s second home and he spent three to four hours training every night.Then, when his family’s shop had to be temporarily closed during Covid-19, he started driving an e-rickshaw to support his family.Although he believed it would make life easier, the long hours left him exhausted and unable to train properly. Despite the challenges, he won his first national medal at the 2022 National Para Weightlifting Championships in Kolkata.Convinced that weightlifting was his future, Jandu ended up selling his e-rickshaw a year later to fund his participation in the National Para Weightlifting Championships in New Delhi.Ironically, the gamble seemed to fail when he was unable to successfully register in the race. But his determination caught the attention of national chief coach Rajinder Singh Lahru, 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-weightlifters, winning medals at home and abroad, setting a national record in the 72kg category with a lift of 206kg and qualifying for the Commonwealth Games.However, there was a hint of disappointment late on Friday in Glasgow as he narrowly missed out on silver and even gold. However, the moment he stood on the podium of the CWG was a dream he had had for many years.“This journey has never been my own. Everyone has played a role in helping me get to 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.”Back in Harnaut’s hometown, celebrations began as family, friends and neighbors rejoiced at the success of a man who once sold vegetables and drove an e-rickshaw to fulfill his sporting dreams.“It is a huge achievement. Today people will see him becoming a Commonwealth Games medalist but few know how difficult his journey was,” said Jandu’s elder brother Kundan.

By the afternoon, Kundan had distributed nearly 5 kilograms of “black atomic bombs,” a popular candy in the area. Their parents, Ramanand Paswan and Kamala Devi, couldn’t be happier.“Jandu spoke to our mother before the match and she blessed him and said, ‘Son, wherever you play, always raise the Indian tricolor.’ These were words from her heart and he has fulfilled that blessing,” said Kundan, who admitted that he was so excited that he could not sleep all night.His father, who worked as a keeper at the Bihar Cooperative Marketing Union’s warehouse while also selling vegetables for nearly five decades, now hopes his son’s achievement will finally help the family find a shop in the new building after years of waiting.As the family dreams of a better future, the CWG bronze medal also bolsters their hopes of greater breakthroughs on the international stage.Raveendran Sankaran, Director and CEO, Bihar Sports Authority, said: “The Bihar government will provide him with the support he needs for effective training so that he can succeed at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.”For Jandu, this assurance comes at a crucial stage in his career. After years of funding his dreams – selling vegetables, driving an e-rickshaw and even selling it to continue competing – he now has the support to chase a bigger goal – a Paralympic medal in Los Angeles.