Three medals in a day! Raji Muthupandi’s silver joins Commonwealth Games weightlifting medal spree

Glasgow: India’s Raja Muthupandi clinched a silver medal during the men’s 65kg weightlifting final at the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary) (PTI07_27_2026_000017B) Raja Muthupandi won a silver medal in men’s 65kg weightlifting at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, adding another podium finish to India’s strong start in the sport.The 26-year-old lifted 126kg in the snatch and 160kg in the throw for a combined 286kg to finish second. Malaysia’s Muhamad Aznil Bin Bidin won gold with a Commonwealth Games record total of 299kg, while Papua New Guinea’s Morea Baru secured bronze with 282kg.

Glasgow: Malaysia’s gold medalist Muhamad Aznil Bidin, centre, India’s silver medalist Raja Muthupandi, left, and Papua New Guinea’s bronze medalist Morea Baru during the men’s 65kg weightlifting final at the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary) (PTI07_27_2026_000023A)

The silver was Muthupandi’s first Commonwealth Games medal after finishing sixth in the men’s 62kg event on his Gold Coast debut in 2018.

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Long way back to the stage

Muthupandi’s progress was halted by a serious elbow ligament injury in 2019, with the COVID-19 pandemic further disrupting his rehabilitation. After moving up to the 67kg category, he also found options limited as Jeremy Lalrinnunga established himself as India’s leading lifter in the division and eventually won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.Jeremy’s injury problems and a dip in form later opened the door again for Muthupandi, who moved up to the 65kg category and rebuilt his place in the national set-up.

Glasgow: India’s Raja Muthupandi competes during the men’s 65kg weightlifting final at the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary) (PTI07_27_2026_000022A)

He announced his comeback by placing ninth at the 2025 World Championships, reaching a personal best of 299 kg via lifts of 130 kg in the jerk and 169 kg in the throw.

India’s medal tally is growing

Muthupandi arrived in Glasgow after winning silver at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships and has now added Commonwealth Games silver to his CV.His medal was India’s third in weightlifting on the day behind the podiums of Rishikant Singh and Mirabai Chanu and took the country’s total tally to four medals at the Games, including one gold, two silvers and one bronze.