India’s First Medal and Para Powerlifting Results
India’s First Medal and Para Powerlifting Results
India concluded Day 2 of the Commonwealth Games with a medal in para powerlifting and several encouraging performances across various events in Glasgow. Jhandu Kumar opened India’s medal account by securing a bronze in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event.
The 28-year-old, who has overcome polio and financial challenges, achieved 130.9 points after successfully lifting 181kg and 190kg. His final attempt of 196kg was not completed. In the same event, Sudhir, another Indian participant, finished sixth with 114.1 points. Nigeria’s Idris Riluwan claimed gold with 132.8 points, while Matthew Harding secured silver with 131 points.
In the men’s lightweight para powerlifting event, Ashok Malik finished fourth with 143.8 points, narrowly missing a podium finish. England’s Mark Swan won gold with 153.9 points, Nigeria’s Roland Ezuruike took silver with 153.9 points, and Malaysia’s Bonnie Bunyau Gustin claimed bronze. India’s Paramjeet Kumar finished seventh with 135.6 points.
Swimming and Boxing Performances
In para swimming, Karthik Budigina came close to a medal, finishing fourth in the men’s 100m Freestyle S13 final with a time of 57.57 seconds. His teammate, Imam Ali, finished seventh in 1:03.73. South Africa’s Nathan Hendricks won gold in 54.54 seconds, followed by Scotland’s Stephen Clegg with silver in 55.16 seconds, and England’s Matthew Redfern with bronze in 56.86 seconds. The S13 category is for athletes with visual impairments.
Earlier, both Budigina and Imam Ali had advanced to the final, with Budigina finishing third in the heats with a time of 57.10 seconds and Imam Ali qualifying with 1:05.32 seconds. In boxing, Jadumani Singh began his campaign successfully in the men’s 55kg competition, defeating Scotland’s Aaron Cullen by unanimous decision in the Round of 32. He is set to face Pakistan’s Sumama Rehman in the pre-quarterfinals.
Srihari Nataraj’s journey in the men’s 50m backstroke concluded in the semifinals, where he finished seventh in his race with a time of 25.29 seconds and did not qualify for the final. South Africa’s Pieter Coetze was the fastest qualifier in 24.29 seconds, ahead of Ruard van Renen (24.56) and England’s Oliver Morgan (24.65).
Lawn Bowls Success
India also experienced a strong day in lawn bowls. The women’s pairs team, consisting of Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh, secured their second consecutive victory, defeating South Africa 2-0 (6-4, 7-5) in their Section B match at the Scottish Event Campus Hall 3.
In men’s singles, Putul Sonowal followed up his initial win against Ryan Bester of Canada with another hard-fought victory. Sonowal defeated Falkland Islands’ Cecil Alexander in a tie-break after the match ended 1-1 in sets. He recovered from a 3-4 deficit to win the opening set 7-5 before Alexander claimed the second set 8-6. Sonowal then won the tie-break to complete the win.
Jhandu Kumar, originally from Bihar, transitioned to para powerlifting in 2022 after competing in para athletics, where he earned district and state-level medals in shot put and discus throw. He also participated in able-bodied powerlifting competitions. He won a silver medal at his debut competition in Kolkata and later broke the national record in the men’s 72kg category with a 206kg lift at the Khelo India Para Games in New Delhi. He also secured bronze medals at both the World Para Powerlifting World Cup and the Asia-Oceania Open Championships.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
