Raja Muthupandi Wins Silver in Men's 65kg Weightlifting (Img: X)
New Delhi: India's impressive run in weightlifting at the 2026 Commonwealth Games continued with Raja Muthupandi clinching the silver medal in the men's 65kg category. The 26-year-old lifter delivered a composed performance, finishing with a combined lift of 286kg to secure second place on the podium and further strengthen India's medal tally.
Muthupandi recorded 126kg in the snatch and 160kg in the clean and jerk, successfully completing both decisive lifts on his second attempts. Malaysia's Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamed claimed the gold medal with a Commonwealth Games record total of 299kg, while Muthupandi's effort ensured India celebrated another successful day on the weightlifting platform.
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The silver medal is the latest chapter in Muthupandi's remarkable comeback story. His career suffered a major setback after a serious elbow ligament injury in 2019, forcing him to spend a lengthy spell away from competition. The COVID-19 pandemic further delayed his return, while changes in weight categories and increased competition kept him out of India's squad for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The introduction of the men's 65kg event gave Muthupandi a fresh opportunity. He steadily rebuilt his form, highlighted by a ninth-place finish at the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships with a personal-best total of 299kg.
Muthupandi's silver completed another memorable day for India's weightlifting contingent. Earlier, Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu captured her third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women's 48kg category, while Chanambam Rishikanta Singh secured silver in the men's 60kg event.
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With three medals from weightlifting on the same day, the sport has once again emerged as one of India's strongest medal contributors at the Glasgow Games.
While weightlifting brought more success, India's boxing campaign suffered its first disappointment. Aditya Pratap Yadav exited the men's competition after losing a closely contested pre-quarterfinal bout to Uganda's Nuhu Batte by a 3-2 split decision.
