Moments after clinching the bronze medal in the men\u2019s heavyweight para powerlifting event on Friday, an emotional Jhandu told IANS that he had always believed his hard work would eventually pay off.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI drove an e-rickshaw, sold vegetables and struggled a lot to support myself. But I never gave up on my dream. I always had faith that one day I would definitely win a medal for my country,\u201d Jhandu said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Competing in a two-group field, Jhandu topped Group B with a best result of 130.9, comfortably finishing ahead of Uganda\u2019s Dennis Mbaziira (114.1) and Australia\u2019s Ben Wright (110.9) to advance into medal contention.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the combined standings, however, Nigeria\u2019s Riluwan Idris produced the best overall lift of 132.8 to clinch the gold medal, while England\u2019s Matthew Harding claimed silver with 131.0. Jhandu\u2019s effort of 130.9 was enough to secure the bronze medal, finishing just 0.1 behind Harding in a closely contested battle for silver.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
His inspiring story stood out as much as his performance on the platform, highlighting the grit and determination behind India\u2019s latest medal at the Games.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the combined standings, however, Nigeria\u2019s Riluwan Idris produced the best overall lift of 132.8 to clinch the gold medal, while England\u2019s Matthew Harding claimed silver with 131.0. Jhandu\u2019s effort of 130.9 was enough to secure the bronze medal, finishing just 0.1 behind Harding in a closely contested battle for silver.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Reflecting on his achievement, Jhandu said the medal belongs not just to him but to everyone who supported him during his toughest days, adding that the success has only motivated him to aim for bigger honours in the future.<\/p>\r\n\r\n