Glasgow, July 27: India’s Raja Muthupandi clinched the silver medal in the men’s 65kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, continuing the country’s impressive run on the weightlifting platform. The 26-year-old lifted a combined 286kg, with 126kg in the snatch and 160kg in the clean and jerk, to finish second on the podium.
Malaysia’s Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamed claimed the gold medal with a Commonwealth Games record total of 299kg, securing his third consecutive Commonwealth Games title.
Muthupandi’s silver marked a remarkable comeback after a career-threatening elbow ligament injury in 2019 and setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also missed the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games after moving to a higher weight category. The introduction of the men’s 65kg category paved the way for his return to the Indian team, and he has since impressed on the international stage.
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated the weightlifter, calling the achievement another proud moment for Indian sport.
The medal was India’s third of the day, following Mirabai Chanu’s gold in the women’s 48kg category and Chanambam Rishikanta Singh’s silver in the men’s 60kg event, making it a clean sweep of medals for India in weightlifting on Sunday.
Meanwhile, India’s boxing campaign suffered its first setback as Aditya Pratap Yadav bowed out after a narrow 3-2 split-decision defeat to Uganda’s Nuhu Batte in the men’s pre-quarterfinals.
India’s strong showing in weightlifting has further strengthened its medal tally at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
