India's fantastic performance at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow proved to be a record-breaking event as weightlifter Raja Muthupandi won a hard-fought and emotional silver medal in the men’s 65kg category. Muthupandi's stellar podium finish capped off a magnificent triple-medal day for the Indian weightlifting contingent, further solidifying the sport as the nation's powerhouse at the quadrennial games.
A Gripping Battle On The Platform.
Muthupandi, who competed at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC Armadillo), was an amazing fighter with his skill level, his tactical skills and his skillfulness. His path to the silver medal was not easy. The Tamil Nadu-born lifter started his snatch competition under pressure and failed to make 126kg on his first attempt. But he did it again and showed the grit of an elite athlete in the process and made 126kg on his second attempt. A third attempt at 129kg failed but he remained in the medal race heading into the clean and jerk. The drama continued in the second discipline. Muthupandi missed his first clean and jerk lift at 158kg but succeeded in lifting 160kg on his second attempt. This crucial lift took him up to the top of the leaderboard and kept him on top. And while Malaysia’s veteran Muhamad Aznil Bin Bidin won it all by winning the gold with a Games-record 299kg and Papua New Guinea’s Morea Baru battled on the podium, Muthupandi’s total of 286kg (126kg snatch + 160kg clean and jerk) was enough to secure the silver. An attempt at 170kg to go for gold was unsuccessful, but the silver medal was safely locked in and the Indian team was elated.
The Long and Arduous Road to Redemption
Muthupandi’s silver medal is far more than a piece of hardware, it is the ultimate victory over adversity. His career had been derailed by a major elbow ligament tear at the 2019 Commonwealth Championships that required major surgery. Just as he fought his way back, a pandemic-related mishap, jaundice and appendicitis surgery were keeping him away from a full gym session for months, and he had to miss Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Refusing to turn back to failure, Muthupandi adapted himself to 65kg and soared in domestic form with a ninth-place finish at the 2025 World Championships. Winning a national title and Commonwealth Games medal on his debut is a great reward for persistent efforts.
Weightlifting is keeping India’s momentum going.
Muthupandi's podium finish capped an unforgettable day for Indian weightlifting in Glasgow. A few hours earlier, Mirabai Chanu, a three-time gold medallist in the women’s category at the Commonwealth Games, won her third consecutive gold and Chanambam Rishikanta Singh won silver in the men’s 60kg class. Para-lifter Jhandu Kumar also scored a bronze. Raja Muthupandi’s silver takes India’s total medal count to four, and with the medal count so high, the country’s athletes will continue to shine on the international stage.
