India’s impressive run in weightlifting at the 2026 Commonwealth Games continued on Sunday (local time) as Raja Muthupandi produced a determined performance to clinch the silver medal in the men’s 65kg category in Glasgow. His podium finish marked India’s third medal of the day, with all three coming from weightlifting. The 26-year-old lifter finished with a combined total of 286kg, registering 126kg in the snatch and 160kg in the clean and jerk. His effort was enough to secure second place behind Malaysia’s Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamed, who lifted a Commonwealth Games record total of 299 kg to claim his third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal after triumphs in Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022.
Muthupandi made a confident start by successfully lifting 126kg in the snatch on his second attempt, placing himself firmly in medal contention. He then followed it up with a successful 160kg effort in the clean and jerk, also on his second attempt, taking his overall tally to 286kg and sealing the silver medal for India.
Silver crowns remarkable comeback journey
The Glasgow silver is particularly significant considering Raja’s challenging road back to elite competition. His progress was interrupted by a serious elbow ligament injury in 2019 which forced him to spend a lengthy period away from competition. His rehabilitation was further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, while the move to a higher weight category coincided with Jeremy Lalrinnunga’s emergence, leaving Muthupandi out of India’s squad for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
However, the introduction of the men’s 65kg category provided him with a fresh opportunity. Muthupandi made the most of it by working his way back into the national setup and steadily rebuilding his international credentials. One of his notable performances came at the 2025 World Championships, where he finished ninth with a personal best total of 299kg, signalling his return to top-level competition.
Weightlifting continues to power India’s campaign
Muthupandi’s silver further strengthened India’s medal tally after a productive day on the weightlifting platform. Earlier, Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu successfully defended her dominance by winning a third successive Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women’s 48kg category. India also celebrated another podium finish through Chanambam Rishikanta Singh, who secured the silver medal in the men’s 60kg event. With three medals from weightlifting on Sunday alone, the discipline once again underlined its status as one of India’s strongest medal prospects at the Commonwealth Games.
India’s boxing campaign suffers first setback
While weightlifting brought more celebrations, India’s boxing campaign witnessed its first disappointment of the Games. Aditya Pratap Yadav bowed out of the men’s competition after losing his pre-quarterfinal contest against Uganda’s Nuhu Batte. The closely fought bout ended in a 3-2 split decision in favour of the Ugandan boxer.
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