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Weightlifting remains India's fortress as Raja Muthupandi clinches Commonwealth Games silver
This was India's third medal in weightlifting at the 2026 Commonwealth Games
India's remarkable run in weightlifting at the 2026 Commonwealth Games continued as Raja Muthupandi clinched silver in the men's 65kg category, bringing the country's tally in the sport to three medals in Glasgow. The 25-year-old lifted a combined 286kg (127kg snatch, 159kg clean and jerk) to finish second behind Malaysia's Muhamad Aznil Bidin, who shattered the Commonwealth Games record with an extraordinary 299kg effort.
If Raja was chasing history, Aznil was making it. The Malaysian completed a rare hat-trick of Commonwealth Games gold medals, emulating India's Mirabai Chanu, who became the first Indian weightlifter to achieve the feat just a day earlier. Raja, meanwhile, underlined India's growing depth in weightlifting, delivering yet another podium finish after Mirabai's gold and Rishikanta Singh's silver.
The big man from Tamil Nadu failed to clear 126kg with his opening snatch attempt but made no mistake on his second. He briefly moved into the lead before Muhamad rewrote the Commonwealth Games record with a 133kg lift, leaving Raja trailing by seven kilos. More importantly, his grip on silver was far from secure, holding just a 1kg advantage over Papua New Guinea's Morea Baru (125kg), while Nigeria's Favour Agboro remained in contention with 122kg.
Raja opened the clean and jerk with an unsuccessful 158kg attempt but responded brilliantly by clearing 160kg on his second lift. Baru and Agboro both threatened his hold on second place, but neither could overhaul him. Baru managed only 159kg on his final attempt, while Agboro's gamble at 161kg ended in failure, sealing Raja's Commonwealth Games silver medal.
Raja developed an interest in weightlifting at an early age. His steady rise through the junior circuit earned him a place in India's squad for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, where he finished sixth in the men's 62 kg event. Just a year later, his progress was halted by a major injury. During the 2019 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships, Raja suffered a serious ligament tear in his right elbow while attempting a snatch lift.
The road back was far from smooth. Raja returned to competition at the 2021 Senior National Championships, claiming a bronze medal, but narrowly missed selection for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. His struggles continued when he was diagnosed with jaundice and later underwent surgery for appendicitis. The consecutive health issues kept him away from training for nearly 10 months, raising doubts about whether he would continue in the sport.
His breakthrough came at the 20th Senior National Weightlifting Championships in Modinagar in February 2026, where he produced a record-breaking performance in the men's 65 kg category. He secured the gold medal with a national-record total of 302 kg, lifting 130 kg in the snatch and 172 kg in the clean and jerk. The outstanding performance also earned him recognition as one of the championship's top senior male lifters and confirmed his place in India's Commonwealth Games squad.
