Raja Muthupandi won the silver medal in the men’s 65kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, adding another podium finish to India’s strong start in the sport.The 26-year-old lifted 126kg in the snatch and 160kg in the clean and jerk for a combined total of 286kg to finish second. Malaysia’s Muhamad Aznil Bin Bidin claimed gold with a Commonwealth Games record total of 299kg, while Papua New Guinea’s Morea Baru secured bronze with 282kg.
Glasgow: Malaysia’s gold medallist Muhamad Aznil Bidin, centre, India’s silver medallist Raja Muthupandi, left, and Papua New Guinea�s bronze medallist Morea Baru during the men’s 65kg weightlifting final at the 23rd Commonwealth Games, in Glasgow, Scotland. (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary)(PTI07_27_2026_000023A)
The silver was Muthupandi’s first Commonwealth Games medal after finishing sixth in the men’s 62kg event on his debut at Gold Coast in 2018.
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Long road back to the podium
Muthupandi’s progress was halted by a serious elbow ligament injury in 2019, with the COVID-19 pandemic further disrupting his rehabilitation. After moving up to the 67kg category, he also found opportunities limited as Jeremy Lalrinnunga established himself as India’s leading lifter in the division, eventually winning Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham in 2022.Jeremy’s injury struggles and dip in form later reopened the door for Muthupandi, who switched to the 65kg category and rebuilt his place in the national setup.
Glasgow: India’s Raja Muthupandi competes during the men’s 65kg weightlifting final at the 23rd Commonwealth Games, in Glasgow, Scotland. (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary)(PTI07_27_2026_000022A)
He announced his return by finishing ninth at the 2025 World Championships, setting a personal-best total of 299kg through lifts of 130kg in the snatch and 169kg in the clean and jerk.
India’s medal tally grows
Muthupandi arrived in Glasgow after winning silver at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships and has now added a Commonwealth Games silver to his résumé.His medal was India’s third in weightlifting on the day, following podium finishes by Rishikanta Singh and Mirabai Chanu, and increased the country’s overall tally to four medals at the Games, comprising one gold, two silvers and one bronze.
