Raja Muthupandi clinches Silver in men's 65kg weightlifting at CWG 2026

Indian weightlifter Raja Muthupandi clinched the silver medal in the men's 65kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow. The 26-year-old athlete lifted a combined total of 286kg, featuring 126kg in the snatch and 160kg in the clean and jerk. Malaysia's Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamed claimed the gold medal with a Games-record total lift of 299kg, while Papua New Guinea's Morea Baru secured the bronze with a 282kg effort.

The competition saw a tense battle for the podium spots. After overcoming an initial stutter in his first snatch attempt, Muthupandi bounced back strongly to clear 126kg. In the clean and jerk round, he raised his second attempt to 160kg to surge past Baru and hold off challenges from rival lifters. Although his final attempt at 170kg did not succeed, his 286kg total held firm to lock in the second position.

Muthupandi's silver completes a sensational personal turnaround after years of setbacks. A severe elbow ligament tear in 2019 required surgery and kept him out of international contention for an extended period, leading to a missed qualification for the 2022 Games. His podium finish follows Mirabai Chanu's gold and Rishikanta Singh's silver, extending India's weightlifting medal haul in Glasgow.