Glasgow: Para powerlifter Zhandu Kumar, who won India’s first medal at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland on Saturday, has become the talk of the country and abroad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated him on X, taking his achievement to every corner of the nation. However, many people have been wondering how he got the unusual name ‘Zhandu Kumar’.
The 28-year-old hails from Harnaut village in Bihar. At the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, he lifted 181kg and 190kg to finish third with 130.9 points, earning the bronze medal. Another Indian powerlifter, Sudhir, finished sixth with 114.1 points.
Zhandu Kumar has been affected by polio since the age of five. His parents did everything possible to get him treated, but they could not overcome his physical disability. Speaking to PTI, he said, “Since childhood, I have had to move around while sitting. People used to mock me. They would say, ‘This boy has become disabled. What will he achieve in life now?'”
Many may assume that Zhandu Kumar was named after the well-known Indian brand, but that is not the case. His father’s friends would jokingly tell him, “Aap ka beta sab jhandu kar diya, sab paise khatam kar diya.” They meant that all his savings had been spent on his son’s treatment and that his entire financial capital had been exhausted because of him.
Government office visit became the turning point
While Zhandu Kumar’s father eventually forgot the joke, the nickname became his son’s identity. At one stage, Zhandu wanted to change his name to Avinash Kumar. However, during a visit to a government office for some official work, the officials kept calling him Zhandu Kumar. Even after he entered the cabin, they repeatedly asked his name and laughed at it.
Recalling the incident to PTI, he said, “When I saw everyone laughing so much at my name, I decided to keep it forever so that people could continue smiling. Today, all my official documents carry the name Zhandu Kumar. After that visit to the government office, I completely dropped the idea of changing my name to Avinash Kumar.”
Parents still sell vegetables
Zhandu Kumar is the son of a farmer. At one stage of his life, he sold vegetables to support himself and meet his daily expenses. Even today, his parents continue to sell vegetables in their village.
He told PTI, “Once I decided to build a career in powerlifting, I started paying special attention to my diet and fitness. To meet my gym expenses, I drove an e-rickshaw for eight to nine months. Despite having polio in my leg, I somehow managed to operate the brakes. I used to earn ₹200-400 a day, but after driving the rickshaw I would be so exhausted that I couldn’t go to the gym in the evening. My gym coach, Sudhir Bhai, had once won a Commonwealth Games medal by lifting 212kg. That was the moment I decided that I too would win a medal for India.”
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