New Delhi: India added another medal to its tally at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 as Raja Muthupandi claimed the silver medal in the men’s 65kg weightlifting event, capping an inspiring comeback from injury and reinforcing India’s dominance on the weightlifting platform.
The 26-year-old lifter registered a total lift of 286kg, comprising 126kg in the snatch and 160kg in the clean and jerk, to finish second on the podium. Malaysia’s Aznil Bin Bidin Mohamad won the gold medal with a Commonwealth Games record total of 299kg, securing his third consecutive Commonwealth Games title after victories at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022.
Raja made an impressive start by successfully lifting 126kg in his second snatch attempt before following it up with a successful 160kg clean and jerk on his second attempt. His combined total was enough to secure India’s third medal of the day and further strengthen the country’s impressive weightlifting campaign.
The silver medal marks a remarkable return for Raja, whose career was nearly derailed in 2019 after suffering a serious elbow ligament injury. His rehabilitation was further disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, while the emergence of Olympic champion Jeremy Lalrinnunga in the higher weight category kept him out of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games squad.
Following the introduction of the 65kg category, Raja earned his way back into the national team and steadily rebuilt his international credentials. His resurgence included a ninth-place finish at the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships, where he recorded a personal-best total of 299kg.
India’s weightlifting contingent has continued to deliver impressive results in Glasgow. Earlier, Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu captured her third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women’s 48kg category with a commanding total of 190kg (85kg snatch and 105kg clean and jerk). Chanu finished an emphatic 22kg ahead of the silver medallist and also set new Commonwealth Games records in the snatch with successive lifts of 82kg and 85kg.
The victory further cemented Chanu’s remarkable legacy, adding to an illustrious career that includes an Olympic silver medal at Tokyo 2020, multiple World Championship medals, and consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medals in 2018, 2022 and now 2026.
Earlier in the competition, Chanambam Rishikanta Singh secured silver in the men’s 60kg category, while Jhandu Kumar earned a bronze medal in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event, taking India’s medal haul in strength sports to new heights.
However, India’s boxing campaign suffered its first setback when Aditya Pratap Yadav bowed out after a narrow 3-2 split-decision defeat to Uganda’s Nuhu Batte in the pre-quarter-finals, ending his campaign despite a closely fought contest.
With Raja Muthupandi’s silver extending India’s outstanding run in weightlifting, the discipline continues to be one of the country’s strongest medal contributors at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026.
