Jhandu Kumar Wins Bronze In Para Powerlifting To Open India's Medal Tally, India Enters Top 10
India officially opened its medal account at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Day 2, with 28-year-old polio survivor Jhandu Kumar clinching a historic bronze medal in the men's heavyweight para-powerlifting event. Lifting 181 kg and 190 kg for a total score of 130.9 points, Kumar secured India's first podium finish of the Games, immediately propelling the nation into the top 10 on the official medal leaderboard at ninth place. Nigeria's Idris Riluwan captured the gold medal with 132.8 points, while England's Matthew Harding claimed silver with 131 points. Fellow Indian lifter Sudhir finished sixth with 114.1 points in the same event.
Agonizing Fourth-Place Finishes For Ashok Malik And Swimmer Kartik Budigina In Narrow Medal Misses
While Jhandu Kumar secured bronze, India faced heartbreak in two other events with razor-thin Fourth-place finishes. In the men's lightweight para-powerlifting competition, Ashok Malik finished just outside the podium spots at fourth place with a score of 143.8 points, behind gold-medalist Mark Swann of England and bronze-medalist Bony Bunyao Gustin of Malaysia, while India's Paramjeet Kumar placed seventh. In the pool, visually impaired swimmer Kartik Budigina clocked 57.57 seconds in the men's 100m freestyle S13 final to capture a valiant fourth place, while teammate Imam Ali finished seventh.
Boxer Jadumani Singh Dominates Scotland's Aaron Cullen To Set Up Blockbuster India vs Pakistan Clash
In boxing, Jadumani Singh delivered a masterclass performance in the men's 55kg category, securing a unanimous decision victory over home favorite Aaron Cullen of Scotland in the round of 32. The triumph seals Jadumani's berth in the pre-quarterfinals, setting up a high-stakes clash against Pakistan's Sumama Rehman. Over in lawn bowls, India enjoyed an undefeated day as the women's pairs duo of Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh swept South Africa 2-0, while Putul Sonowal triumphed in a thrilling tie-break against the Falkland Islands' Cecil Alexander. Though swimmer Srihari Nataraj bowed out in the men's 50m backstroke semifinals with a 25.29-second mark, India ends Day 2 sitting ninth overall in the global standings of 74 participating nations.
