CWG 26: PM Modi applauds Raja Muthupandi's silver as India's weightlifting medal haul wins widespread praise
New Delhi, July 27
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed Raja Muthupandi's silver-medal performance in the men's 65kg weightlifting event at the Commonwealth Games, calling it another proud achievement for India and wishing the weightlifter continued success.
Muthupandi capped a memorable comeback by clinching the silver medal in the men's 65kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Sunday (local time).
"Another medal for India in Weightlifting! Congrats to Raja Muthupandi on winning a Silver in the Men's 65 kg event at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. His success makes every Indian happy and proud. My best wishes for his upcoming endeavours," PM Modi wrote in an X post.
Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge congratulated Mirabai Chanu on winning a historic third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal and Rishikanta Singh on securing a silver medal.
He said their achievements have made the nation proud and inspired young Indians, wishing them continued success.
The 26-year-old finished with a combined total of 286kg, lifting 126kg in the snatch and 160kg in the clean and jerk to secure second place on the podium.
Malaysia's Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamed claimed the gold medal with a Commonwealth Games record total of 299kg, sealing his third successive Commonwealth Games title after victories at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022.
While, Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu led India's charge on Day 4 of the Commonwealth Games 2026, clinching a historic third successive Commonwealth Games gold medal as the country's weightlifters produced a memorable outing with three medals to lift India further up the standings.
"Heartiest congratulations to Mirabai Chanu on her historic third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold, and to Rishikanta Singh Chanambam on winning India's first silver medal of the Games while setting a new Commonwealth Games record. Your outstanding achievements have made the entire nation proud and inspired millions of young Indians. Wishing you both many more laurels for India," Kharge wrote in an X post.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal hailed Raja Muthupandi's silver-medal feat in the men's 65kg weightlifting event at the Commonwealth Games, saying the nation is immensely proud of his achievement.
"Congratulations to Raja Muthupandi on bringing home Silver in the Men's 65 kg Weightlifting category. The entire nation is immensely proud of your remarkable achievement," Goyal wrote in an X post.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Excellent performance but we need more weightlifting academies in rural areas. Can you imagine how many more Muthupandis and Chanus we could produce if every district had proper facilities? Still, very happy for our athletes today. 👏
The Congress president also congratulated our athletes - good to see bipartisan support for sports. But let's be honest, PM Modi's consistent encouragement for athletes through his Mann Ki Baat and social media has created a real sports culture. That 286kg total was brilliant!
Mirabai Chanu is officially a national treasure! 🏆 Three consecutive Commonwealth golds is unheard of. And Raja Muthupandi's comeback story deserves a movie - from almost quitting to silver at CWG. The government's TOPS scheme is really paying off. Proud moment for India. ✨
While I appreciate the medals, let's not forget that Malaysia's Aznil Bin Bidin has dominated this category for three Games in a row. We need to study what they're doing right and replicate it. Still, three medals from weightlifting alone is a fantastic start for India at CWG 2026!
My 10-year-old daughter wants to take up weightlifting after seeing Mirabai Chanu! That's the real impact - inspiring the next generation. Kudos to all our athletes and the coaching staff. The 160kg clean and jerk by Muthupandi in his final attempt was nerve-wracking but he pulled it off brilliantly. 💪
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