India’s Raja Muthupandi produced a spirited performance to clinch the silver medal in the men’s 65kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Sunday (local time), handing the country its third medal of the day and continuing India’s impressive run on the weightlifting platform.
Congratulating the weightlifter on his achievement, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday hailed the performance as another proud moment for Indian sport. In a post on X, he wrote, “Proud Moment for Indian Weightlifting! Many congratulations to Raja Muthupandi for clinching Silver in Men’s 65kg Weightlifting.”
The 26-year-old registered a combined lift of 286kg, comprising 126kg in the snatch and 160kg in the clean and jerk, to finish second on the podium.
Malaysia’s Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamed won the gold medal with a Commonwealth Games record total of 299kg, securing his third consecutive Commonwealth Games title after triumphs at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022.
Muthupandi made a strong start by successfully lifting 126kg in the snatch on his second attempt before clearing 160kg in the clean and jerk, also on his second attempt, to finish with an overall total of 286kg and secure the silver medal.
The medal marks a significant milestone in Muthupandi’s comeback after a serious elbow ligament injury in 2019 threatened his career. His rehabilitation was further disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, while a move to a higher weight category coincided with the emergence of Jeremy Lalrinnunga, leaving him out of India’s squad for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
He returned to the national setup following the introduction of the 65kg category and delivered encouraging performances on the international circuit, including a ninth-place finish at the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships with a personal-best total of 299kg.
Muthupandi’s silver added to India’s impressive weightlifting tally on Sunday. Earlier in the day, Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu won 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.
With Muthupandi’s podium finish, India claimed three medals on Sunday, all in weightlifting, underlining the sport’s continued contribution to the country’s Commonwealth Games campaign.
Elsewhere, India’s boxing campaign suffered its first setback of the Games after Aditya Pratap Yadav exited the men’s competition. The Indian boxer lost his pre-quarterfinal bout to Uganda’s Nuhu Batte by a narrow 3-2 split decision, marking India’s first boxing defeat at Glasgow 2026.
(With inputs from ANI)
