What is the story about?
Weightlifter Rishikanta Singh won India's first silver medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, on Sunday. In the men's 60 kg division, the 28-year-old
finished second out of 11 competitors, helping India win its second medal in the 23rd Games. Earlier, Jhandu Kumar, a para powerlifter, took home a bronze in the men's heavyweight division.
Who Is Rishikanta Singh?
Rishikanta became interested in weightlifting at an early age and started honing his techniques at the National Sports Academy in Khuman Lampak, Imphal. At the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad, he experienced one of the defining moments of his career. Rishikanta won the gold medal in the men's 60 kg division with the best performance of his career, lifting a total of 271 kg—120 kg in the snatch and 151 kg in the clean and jerk.
His effort earned him immediate qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in addition to securing the Commonwealth championship and setting a national record in the category. Rishikanta demonstrated his ability to compete with the best in the world by placing 11th at the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships against an incredibly difficult international field.
He had previously competed for India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where he gained invaluable experience on one of the biggest international sporting stages. Singh has continuously maintained his position as one of India's top weightlifters at home. He demonstrated his exceptional technical abilities by setting the Indian national snatch record of 124 kilos in the men's 61 kg class during the 2024 National Weightlifting Championships.
The Glasgow Silverware
Joshua Amunga Mboya of Kenya took home the bronze, while Bin Kasdan Mohamad Aniq of Malaysia won the gold in the men's 60 kg division. Rishikanta outperformed the other competitors in the snatch category by starting with a lift of 116 kg and perfecting it on his very first try. Rishikanta lifted 119 kg on his second effort and 121 kg on his third. His highest lift in the snatch category was 121 kg, and all three attempts were successful. Rishikanta also set a personal and Commonwealth Games snatch record with the lift of 121 kg.
Bin Kasdan Mohamad Aniq of Malaysia also lifted 121 kg in the snatch category; therefore, it all depended on the clean and jerk lifts. Rishikanta finished first with a lift of 121 kg.
Rishikanta successfully lifted 143 kg on his first try in the clean and jerk section. But on his second try, he was unable to lift 148 kg, which allowed the Malaysian to solidify his hold on the top slot. The Indian weightlifter was under further strain after Aniq hoisted 149 kg on his second attempt; in order to have any chance of winning the gold medal, he had to lift 151 kg on his final effort.
However, Rishikanta came second and took home the silver medal in the men's 60kg class after failing to lift 151 kg. The Malaysian opponent finished with 273 kg, while Rishikanta's total was 264 kg.
