"I dedicate this win to my parents, my coach": Weightlifter Raja Muthupandi after winning silver at CWG 2026
Glasgow, July 27
Indian weightlifter Raja Muthupandi dedicated his Commonwealth Games 2026 silver medal to his parents and coach Vijay Sharma, while admitting he was disappointed at missing out on the gold medal in the men's 65kg event in Glasgow.
"I am certainly disappointed because my coach had placed his trust in me, believing we would put in the full effort to win gold. However, I didn't perform well. I dedicate this win to my parents and my coach, Vijay Sharma. I will focus on the lessons learned here and concentrate on my training. I will train according to my coach's instructions and work hard moving forward," Raja told ANI after the event.
The 26-year-old produced a combined lift of 286kg to finish second on the podium, earning India its third medal of the day and continuing the country's impressive run in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games.
Raja recorded a best lift of 126kg in the snatch on his second attempt before successfully lifting 160kg in the clean and jerk, also on his second attempt, to seal the silver medal.
Malaysia's Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamed clinched the gold medal with a Commonwealth Games record total of 299kg, completing a hat-trick of Commonwealth Games titles after his triumphs at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022.
The silver marked a remarkable comeback for Raja, whose career was threatened by a serious elbow ligament injury in 2019. His rehabilitation was further delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, while the rise of Olympic champion Jeremy Lalrinnunga in the higher weight category kept him out of India's squad for the Birmingham 2022 Games.
Raja returned to contention following the introduction of the 65kg category and rebuilt his career with consistent performances, including a ninth-place finish at the 2025 World Championships, where he registered a personal-best total of 299kg.
His podium finish added to India's successful day in weightlifting after Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu claimed her third successive Commonwealth Games gold in the women's 48kg category, while Chanambam Rishikanta Singh secured silver in the men's 60kg event.
India's boxing campaign, however, suffered its first setback of the Games as Aditya Pratap Yadav exited the men's competition after a narrow 3-2 split-decision defeat to Uganda's Nuhu Batte in the pre-quarterfinals.
— ANI
Reader Comments
So proud of our Indian weightlifters! Three medals in a day—Mirabai Chanu's gold, Rishikanta's silver, and now Raja's silver. The 286kg total is excellent, but I can see why he's a bit disappointed. He knows he can do better, and that hunger is what makes champions. Kudos to coach Vijay Sharma for rebuilding him after that injury. 🙏
Respect for Raja Muthupandi. A 286kg total is solid, but that Malaysian athlete is in a different league—three consecutive CWG golds! India's weightlifting program is clearly improving though. The elbow injury comeback story is remarkable; many athletes wouldn't recover from that. Let's see him target 300kg+ in the next cycle.
What an effort, Raja! After watching him struggle in 2019 with that injury, seeing him on the podium is emotional. His personal best of 299kg at Worlds shows he can compete with the best. The deep lifting talent in India right now—Mirabai, Jeremy, and now Raja—is amazing. Shame about Aditya's boxing loss though. 😟
Honestly, I'm happy with the silver but Raja is right to be disappointed. He matched his PB at Worlds (299kg) and that would have won gold here, but he only managed 286kg today. Pressure of the big stage maybe? Coach Sharma needs to work on mental preparation too. Still, great comeback from injury—fully backing him for Asian Games. 💪
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.