Star weightlifter Raja Muthupandi continued India’s glorious day in Glasgow, as he became the third Indian to bag a medal in the sport on the day, following in the footsteps of Rishikanta Singh and Mirabai Chanu. Muthupandi bagged a silver in the men’s 65kg event.
Muthupandi, who claimed silver at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in August 2025, bagged his maiden CWG medal after finishing sixth at the 2018 Gold Coast edition.
Muthupandi lifted 126kg in snatch and 160kg in the clean and jerk to finish with a total of 286kg.
Malaysia’s Muhamad Aznil Bin Bidin clinched the gold medal with a CWG record total of 299kg, while Papua New Guinea’s Morea Baru bagged bronze with a combined lift of 282kg.
Weightlifters delivered a golden day for
India on the fourth day of the Games, powering the country’s medal tally to four: one gold, two silver and one bronze. India sit eighth in the standings, while Australia lead the table with 33 medals, including 14 gold, eight silver and 11 bronze.
The medal marked a brilliant turnaround for Muthupandi, who battled multiple setbacks and disappointments over the past few years. His rise has been built on years of consistent progress, hard work and resilience.
Muthupandi first announced himself on the big stage with gold and silver medals at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth and Junior Championships, before adding national titles in 2019 and 2022 to cement his place among India’s brightest weightlifting prospects.
Muthupandi’s progress hit a major roadblock at the 2019 Commonwealth Championships, where he suffered a ligament tear in his right elbow during the snatch event.
The injury required surgery and forced Muthupandi into a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Although he returned to competition with a third-place finish at the 2021 National Championships, he missed out on selection for India’s team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
