...
...
Next Story

‘Another glorious chapter’: PM Modi lauds Mirabai Chanu, Rishikanta Singh after India's CWG weightlifting medal double

PM Modi congratulated Mirabai Chanu and Rishikanta Singh after their gold and silver medals powered India's strong CWG 2026 weightlifting show.

Published on: Jul 27, 2026, 11:24:07 IST
Advertisement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Mirabai Chanu and Chanambam Rishikanta Singh after the Indian weightlifters delivered a gold and silver medal, respectively, at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow.

Mirabai Chanu reacts after winning gold medal in the women's 48kg Final weightlifting competition at the 23rd Commonwealth Games. (PTI)
Mirabai Chanu reacts after winning gold medal in the women's 48kg Final weightlifting competition at the 23rd Commonwealth Games. (PTI)

PM Modi took to X after the two medal-winning performances, describing Chanu's latest triumph as "another glorious chapter in Indian Weightlifting" while saying Rishikanta's determination and performance had brought "immense joy to the nation".

Chanu continued her remarkable Commonwealth Games dominance by winning the women's 48kg gold medal with a total lift of 190kg. The 31-year-old registered 85kg in the snatch before adding 105kg in the clean and jerk, finishing a massive 22kg ahead of Nigeria's Ruth Asuquo Nyong, who took silver with 168kg. The victory also delivered India's first gold medal of the Glasgow Games.

Chanu's Glasgow success took her Commonwealth Games medal tally to four. After winning silver in 2014, she struck gold at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022 before completing another title-winning campaign in Glasgow.

Also Read: Twelve years on, Mirabai Chanu is still lifting more, winning more and standing apart from Indian weightlifting's rest

Modi hails Rishikanta after silver-medal show

Earlier, Rishikanta delivered a record-breaking performance in the men's 60kg category to claim silver. The Manipuri weightlifter was flawless in the snatch, clearing 116kg and 119kg before lifting 121kg on his third attempt to establish a new Commonwealth Games record. He went into the clean and jerk firmly in contention for gold and successfully lifted 143kg on his opening attempt.

However, Rishikanta was unable to complete his subsequent attempts at 148kg and 151kg as he finished with an overall total of 264kg. Malaysia's Mohamad Aniq Kasdan took gold with a Games record total of 273kg, while Kenya's Joshua Amunga Mboya finished third on 260kg. Rishikanta later revealed that a knee problem had hampered him during the clean and jerk after he had led the competition following the snatch.

Modi congratulated Chanambam separately on X, writing: "Very proud of Indian lifter Rishikanta Singh Chanambam for winning a Silver Medal and also achieving his personal best. His determination and outstanding performance have brought immense joy to the nation. May he continue to scale greater heights and inspire many young athletes. Best wishes for his future endeavours!"

The two performances underlined a strong day for Indian weightlifting in Glasgow, with Chanu extending her extraordinary Commonwealth Games record and Rishikanta adding a maiden CWG medal to his career.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Probuddha Bhattacharjee

Probuddha Bhattacharjee is a sports writer and analyst with expertise spanning cricket, football, and multi-sport events, with a strong emphasis on data-driven journalism and tactical storytelling. He currently focuses on international cricket, the Indian Premier League, global tournaments, and emerging trends shaping modern sport, blending advanced statistics with strong narrative context to explain performance, strategy, and decision-making. His work aims to bridge the gap between numbers and storytelling, helping readers understand not just what happened on the field, but the tactical and structural reasons behind it. Trained in data journalism through the Google News Initiative (GNI) Data Journalism Lab, Probuddha works extensively with ball-by-ball datasets, performance metrics, and trend-based modelling to produce evidence-backed reports, explainers, and long-form features. His analytical approach focuses not only on outcomes but also on process—selection strategies, phase-wise tactics, workload management, and the influence of preparation and planning on match results. He is particularly interested in how statistical patterns reshape conventional cricketing narratives and provide clearer tactical insight for modern audiences. Beyond cricket, Probuddha has written analytical and news-driven pieces on football and other major sporting events, with a growing interest in sports governance, scheduling dynamics, and the economics of elite competitions. He also tracks how rule changes, franchise structures, and broadcast pressures influence the evolution of contemporary sport. He has previously contributed to platforms such as OneCricket, Sportskeeda, and CrickTracker, and continues to specialise in analytical storytelling, live coverage, and audience-focused reporting. His work prioritises clarity, context, and credibility, while consistently exploring innovative ways to present data through accessible narratives and structured match analysis.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Hindustantimes wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe