Indian weightlifter Raja Muthupandi dedicated his Commonwealth Games 2026 silver medal to his parents and coach Vijay Sharma after finishing second in the men’s 65kg event in Glasgow, while admitting he was disappointed to miss out on gold.
Speaking after the event, the 26-year-old said he fell short of the standard he and his coach had targeted. “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.
Raja’s podium finish delivered India its third medal of the day and extended the country’s strong run in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games.
How Raja sealed CWG 2026 men’s 65kg silver
Raja finished with a combined total of 286kg to secure the silver medal in the men’s 65kg category. His best snatch came on his second attempt, where he lifted 126kg. He then completed 160kg in the clean and jerk, also on his second attempt, which confirmed his place on the podium.
Malaysia’s Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamed won the gold medal with a Commonwealth Games record total of 299kg. The victory also completed a hat-trick of Commonwealth Games titles for Aznil, following his earlier triumphs at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022.
For Raja, the result carried added significance beyond the medal itself. The silver was described as a remarkable comeback after a difficult period in his career that began with a serious elbow ligament injury in 2019. His rehabilitation was then further delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Raja also faced selection challenges in the lead-up to Birmingham 2022, with the rise of Olympic champion Jeremy Lalrinnunga in a higher weight category keeping him out of India’s squad for those Games. According to the report, Raja returned to contention after the introduction of the 65kg category and rebuilt his career through consistent performances.
That rebuild included a ninth-place finish at the 2025 World Championships, where he registered a personal-best total of 299kg, underlining the level he has shown in the lead-up to Glasgow.
India’s wider day: weightlifting medals and a boxing setback
Raja’s silver added to a productive day for India in weightlifting at CWG 2026. Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu won her third successive Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women’s 48kg category, while Chanambam Rishikanta Singh claimed silver in the men’s 60kg event.
However, India’s boxing campaign 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.
For Raja, the focus now turns to what he described as taking lessons from the competition and returning to training under his coach’s guidance, after a silver medal that both marked a milestone and left him determined to aim higher next time.
