Glasgow, July 30: India's weightlifters continued to shoulder the country's medal hopes at the Commonwealth Games 2026 as Lovepreet Singh clinched a silver medal in the men's +110kg category on Thursday (July 30), adding another podium finish to India's impressive campaign in the sport.
The 28-year-old heavyweight lifter produced a combined lift of 388kg (176kg Snatch + 212kg Clean & Jerk) to finish second behind New Zealand's David Andrew Liti, who set a Commonwealth Games record with a total of 389kg. England's Andrew Griffiths claimed the bronze with 356kg.
Lovepreet's silver was India's only medal of the day, taking the country's overall tally to 16 medals (3 Gold, 10 Silver and 3 Bronze) while maintaining weightlifting's status as India's most
productive discipline in Glasgow.
Lovepreet Comes Within One Kilogram of Gold
The contest turned into a gripping battle between Lovepreet and defending champion David Liti.
The Indian began strongly in the snatch, successfully lifting 168kg, 173kg and 176kg, with his final effort establishing a new Games record in the discipline and giving him a slender advantage heading into the clean and jerk.
However, Liti responded in emphatic fashion. The New Zealander, who had managed 166kg in the snatch, produced a Games record lift of 223kg in the clean and jerk to finish with an overall total of 389kg, edging Lovepreet by the narrowest possible margin.
The Indian completed successful clean and jerks at 205kg and 212kg before failing at 217kg, ending with 388kg, just one kilogram behind the gold medallist.
CWG Bronze Upgraded to Silver
The silver medal marked another milestone in Lovepreet's steady rise on the international stage.
After winning bronze in the 109kg category at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, the Punjab lifter returned four years later in the newly introduced +110kg division and upgraded the colour of his medal.
His latest performance also bettered his previous personal-best total of 386kg, which he had achieved while finishing fifth at the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships earlier this year.
Journey from Punjab Village to Commonwealth Podium
Born in Bal Sachandar village near Amritsar, Punjab, Lovepreet discovered weightlifting at the age of 13 after being inspired by local lifters. Despite financial hardships, he steadily climbed through the junior ranks before joining the Sports Authority of India National Camp at NS NIS Patiala in 2017.
Initially competing in the 105kg category, he won medals at the Junior Commonwealth and Asian Junior Championships before switching to the 109kg division following changes in the International Weightlifting Federation's weight categories.
His breakthrough came in 2022 when he claimed Commonwealth Games bronze and later won the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships gold.
Lovepreet's silver further strengthened India's dominance in weightlifting.
The discipline has now produced eight of India's 16 medals in Glasgow, including:
- Gold: Mirabai Chanu (Women's 48kg)
- Silver: Rishikanta Singh Chanambam (Men's 60kg)
- Silver: Raja Muthupandi (Men's 65kg)
- Silver: Gyaneshwari Yadav (Women's 53kg)
- Bronze: Bindyarani Devi (Women's 58kg)
- Silver: Valluri Ajaya Babu (Men's 79kg)
- Silver: Harjinder Kaur (Women's 69kg)
- Silver: Lovepreet Singh (Men's +110kg)
With India's weightlifters continuing to deliver consistently, the team remains one of the country's biggest hopes for further medals as the Commonwealth Games enter the business end.
