Raja Muthupandi's comeback silver
India's Raja Muthupandi secured the silver medal in the men's 65kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Sunday, marking a remarkable comeback from a career-threatening injury. The 26-year-old lifted a combined total of 286kg, with 126kg in the snatch and 160kg in the clean and jerk, to finish second on the podium.
Malaysia's Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamed claimed the gold medal with a Commonwealth Games record total of 299kg, securing his third consecutive Commonwealth Games title after victories at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. According to ESPN, Raja's performance was consistent and strategic, as he successfully completed his second attempt in both lifts.
Road to recovery
Raja's silver capped an impressive comeback after his career was nearly derailed by a serious elbow ligament injury in 2019. The rehabilitation process was further disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A shift to a higher weight category coincided with Jeremy Lalrinnunga's rise, forcing Raja out of contention for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
He worked his way back into the national setup after the introduction of the 65kg category and produced encouraging performances on the international stage, including a ninth-place finish at the 2025 World Championships with a personal-best total of 299kg.
India's weightlifting dominance
Raja's silver added to India's rich haul in weightlifting on Sunday. Earlier, Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu secured a third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women's 48kg category, while Chanambam Rishikanta Singh claimed silver in the men's 60kg event. With Raja's podium finish, India collected its third medal of the day, all coming from weightlifting, underlining the sport's continued contribution to the country's Commonwealth Games campaign.
Boxing setback
Elsewhere, India's boxing campaign suffered its first setback of the Games after Aditya Pratap Yadav bowed out in the men's competition. The Indian pugilist lost his pre-quarterfinal bout to Uganda's Nuhu Batte by a narrow 3-2 split decision, marking India's first boxing defeat at Glasgow 2026.
