CWG 2026 stars Sharmila, Lovlina, Jhandu set to grace ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ hot seat

Mumbai, Aug 11 (IANS) India’s Commonwealth Games 2026 medallists Sharmila Dhankar, Lovlina Borgohain and Jhandu Kumar are set to swap the sporting arena for the television studio as the trio is expected to appear on the popular quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC).

Sources close to the development told IANS that the three athletes will get the opportunity to take the coveted ‘hot seat’ opposite Bollywood legend and veteran KBC host Amitabh Bachchan. The special episode featuring the Glasgow Commonwealth Games medallists is expected to be telecast after August 15.

“Commonwealth Games medallists Sharmila Dhankar, Lovlina Borgohain and Jhandu are set to feature on the popular television quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC). The three athletes will get an opportunity to take the coveted hot seat opposite Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan. The episode featuring the Commonwealth Games medallists is expected to be telecast after August 15,” sources told IANS.

Dhankar, who emerged as one of the standout stories of India’s campaign in Glasgow, will bring an especially inspiring journey to the show. She clinched the gold medal in the women’s F57 shot put event, completing a remarkable transformation from surviving domestic violence to becoming a Commonwealth Games champion.

Boxer Lovlina Borgohain will also feature after securing the silver medal in the women’s 75kg category. The Indian was beaten 1-4 by Australia’s Emma-Sue Greentree in the final but returned home with a podium finish from Glasgow.

Para-powerlifter Jhandu Kumar, meanwhile, etched his name into India’s CWG 2026 campaign by winning bronze in the men’s heavyweight event. His best lift of 190kg, worth 130.9 points, earned India its first medal of the Games.

The appearance comes after India completed its Glasgow campaign in fourth place with 39 medals — 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze. Despite a reduced programme that excluded disciplines such as wrestling, shooting and hockey, India produced strong results, with boxing contributing 10 medals, including seven golds.

Athletics and para-athletics also played a significant role, while judo and para-powerlifting added further podium finishes. India eventually handed over the Commonwealth Games baton to Ahmedabad, which will host the 2030 edition.

Kaun Banega Crorepati, the official Hindi adaptation of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? franchise, has been synonymous with Amitabh Bachchan, who has hosted all seasons except the third, when Shah Rukh Khan took over. The show features multiple-choice questions, with contestants using lifelines to navigate their way towards the top prize.

The latest season of KBC premiered on Sony Entertainment Television on August 10, with the sporting trio now set to bring their own stories of perseverance, achievement and triumph to the iconic hot seat.

–IANS

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