The 28-year-old scored 130.9 points, placing third after successful lifts of 181kg and 190kg. He narrowly missed setting a Games record with his last attempt of 196kg, which was unsuccessful.
Another Indian competitor, Sudhir, finished sixth with a score of 114.1 points.
The gold medal was awarded to Nigeria’s Idris Riluwan, who scored 132.8 points, while England’s Matthew Harding took the silver with 131 points.
Kumar’s medal symbolizes years of perseverance that started in Harnaut village in Bihar’s Nalanda district, where he contracted polio at five and helped his family by selling vegetables.
Due to limited resources, Kumar juggled various odd jobs, including managing a vegetable shop and travelling nearly 20 kilometers to local markets without a wheelchair. He later borrowed funds to buy an e-rickshaw to earn a living, but his plans faced setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Initially taking up weight training from 2010 to 2012 to boost his strength, Kumar briefly explored shot put and javelin before ultimately discovering para powerlifting, a sport that changed his life.
Feeling emotional, Kumar dedicated this achievement to his family and all those who supported him along his journey.
“Words can’t capture my happiness. First, I’ll call my parents. And Gautam bhaiya, my first training partner since childhood,” he expressed after winning the bronze medal.
Reflecting on India’s first medal of the Games, he noted, “It’s incredibly significant for India, this first medal. Seeing my flag brings me immense joy.”
Describing his unsuccessful final lift, he said, “The barbell got stuck in the rack, which caused timing issues.”
Earlier in the competition, Ashok Malik narrowly missed a podium finish in the men’s lightweight category, finishing fourth with 143.8 points.
England’s Mark Swan claimed the gold medal with a score of 153.9 points, narrowly beating Nigeria’s Roland Ezuruike, who matched that score but had to settle for silver on countback. Malaysia’s Bonnie Bunyau Gustin secured bronze with 153.5 points.
India’s Paramjeet Kumar landed in seventh place with 135.6 points.
In women’s events, Kasthuri Rajamani was unable to achieve a successful lift in the heavyweight final, while Jaspreet Kaur and Suman Devi also fell short of medal positions in the women’s lightweight competition.
First Published: Jul 25, 2026 3:06 AM IST
