Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary will honour Commonwealth Games 2026 medal-winning para-athletes Soman Rana and Jhandu Kumar at his residence in Patna on August 29, National Sports Day.
The felicitation ceremony will begin at 5pm. Rana, from Gaya district, will receive a cash award of Rs 30 lakh, while Kumar, from Nalanda district, will be presented with Rs 15 lakh.
Ravindran Sankaran, director general-cum-CEO of the Bihar State Sports Authority, said the athletes had brought recognition to Bihar through their performances at the Commonwealth Games and encouraged other athletes in the state.
Rana Wins Gold In Para Shot Put
Rana, who hails from Gaya, began his sporting career in boxing and competed at the national level before joining the Indian Army.
In 2006, while serving in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, Rana lost his right leg in a landmine explosion. He later took up para-athletics in his late twenties.
After years of training and competition, Rana won gold in the men’s F57 shot put at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. According to the Bihar State Sports Authority, he became the first Indian athlete to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in the event.
Kumar Claims Para Powerlifting Bronze
Jhandu Kumar was born in 1997 in Harnaut, Nalanda district. He contracted polio during childhood, which affected the mobility of his legs.
His family faced financial difficulties while spending their limited savings on his treatment. Kumar later pursued para-sports and, through sustained training and competition, established himself at the international level.
He won a bronze medal in men’s para powerlifting at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, earning recognition for both Bihar and India.
Athletes Eligible For Government Jobs
Both Rana and Kumar have also been felicitated by the Prime Minister. The Bihar State Sports Authority said Kumar’s journey and Commonwealth Games achievement were specifically highlighted during the ‘Khelo India Samvad’ interaction.
The two athletes are eligible for government appointments under Bihar’s ‘Medal Lao, Naukri Pao’ scheme.
The state sports authority said their achievements were expected to encourage other athletes in Bihar to pursue competitive sport.
