Ajaya Babu clinches Commonwealth Games 2026 silver, falls just short of gold
Glasgow, July 28
India's Valluri Ajaya Babu produced a spirited performance to clinch the silver medal in the men's 79kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, finishing just one kilogram behind Malaysia's Muhammad Erry Hidayat in a thrilling contest on Monday.
The 22-year-old lifter from Kondavelagada village in Andhra Pradesh totalled 330kg (149kg in snatch and 181kg in clean and jerk), narrowly missing out on gold after Hidayat registered 331kg with a Games-record clean and jerk lift of 184kg. Scotland's Chris Murray claimed the bronze medal with an overall lift of 325kg (148kg+177kg), according to ESPN.
Ajaya began the competition in stunning fashion by setting a Commonwealth Games record of 149kg in the snatch, putting himself in prime position for gold heading into the clean and jerk.
However, Hidayat produced a clutch performance in the second phase, lifting a Games-record 184kg in the clean and jerk to edge past the Indian by a solitary kilogram and seal the title.
The silver medal marked another proud moment for Ajaya and his family. His father had won a bronze medal in weightlifting at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and the youngster bettered that achievement by stepping onto the second place in podium at Glasgow.
The result also added another chapter to the rich weightlifting tradition of Kondavelagada village, which has produced 20 national and 13 international weightlifters.
Ajaya had entered the Games in impressive form, having defeated Hidayat earlier this year at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships with a total of 335kg against the Malaysian's 333kg. Although the result was reversed in Glasgow, the Indian once again showcased his consistency on the international stage.
India enjoyed another successful day on the weightlifting platform, with Gyaneshwari Yadav claiming silver in the women's 53kg category and Bindyarani Devi securing bronze in the women's 58kg event.
Gyaneshwari, competing in her maiden Commonwealth Games after moving up from the 49kg category, recorded a personal-best total of 199kg (88kg in snatch and 111kg in clean and jerk), successfully completing all six of her lifts.
Bindyarani, meanwhile, claimed her second successive Commonwealth Games medal after finishing third in the women's 58kg competition, adding to the silver she won at Birmingham 2022.
India have now won six medals in weightlifting at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games -- one gold, four silver and one bronze.
India's medal winners so far are Mirabai Chanu (gold, weightlifting), Sharmila Dhankar (gold, women's shot put F57), Rishikanta Singh (silver, weightlifting), Muthupandi Raja (silver, weightlifting), Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver, weightlifting), Sarvesh Kushare (silver, men's high jump), Valluri Ajaya Babu (silver, weightlifting), Bindyarani Devi (bronze, weightlifting), Shilpa Shyla (bronze, women's shot put F57) and Jhandu Kumar (bronze, para powerlifting).
— ANI
Reader Comments
Just 1kg difference! So close yet so far. But silver at 22 is no joke. India's weightlifting future looks bright with him and Mirabai Chanu leading the way. Also, can we talk about all the consistent performers emerging from Andhra's villages? Incredible talent pipeline.
Great performance but I hope the federation focuses on his clean and jerk technique. He had the snatch record but couldn't convert it to gold. Needs more support staff and better training facilities at village level. Talent is there, but infrastructure needs to catch up.
Silver is brilliant but we need to start converting these into gold. 🇮🇳 Hidayat is strong competition but Ajaya beat him earlier this year. Mental preparation in the clean and jerk needs improvement. Still, proud of all our weightlifters today - Gyaneshwari with a personal best and Bindyarani with her second consecutive medal!
His father's bronze in 2010 and now his silver in 2026 - what a legacy! 🥈 Must be so emotional for the family. The village of Kondavelagada should be so proud - 20 national and 13 international weightlifters? That's incredible for a village! Hope the government gives them proper facilities.
Impressive depth in Indian weightlifting. 6 medals already and the Games aren't over yet. Ajaya's battle with Hidayat was edge-of-the-seat stuff - they're clearly pushing each other to new heights. Looking forward to more Indian success in the remaining events.
R