CWG 2026: Who is India's silver medalist Raja Muthupandi?
What's the story
Indian weightlifter Raja Muthupandi won the silver medal in the men's 65kg event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Sunday. Muthupandi lifted a total of 286kg (126kg in snatch and 160kg in clean and jerk) to secure India's fourth medal of these Games. Malaysia's Aznil Bidin clinched gold with a Commonwealth Games record total of 299kg.
Road to success
Muthupandi's early career achievements
Muthupandi, who hails from Tamil Nadu, has been employed by the Indian Railways since 2018.
He won gold and silver medals at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth and Junior Championships.
In 2018, he made his senior debut at the Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast but finished sixth in the men's 62kg category with a total lift of 266kg.
Injury recovery
Injury in 2019 and comeback
Muthupandi's career took a major hit in 2019 when he suffered a ligament tear in his right elbow at the Commonwealth Championships. The injury required surgery and kept him out of action for a long time.
However, he made a successful return at the 2021 National Championships and went on to win the senior national title in 2026 with an impressive total lift of 302kg (men's 65kg).
Medal tally
Stellar run before CWG
Before his silver medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026, Muthupandi had a stellar run in weightlifting competitions.
He won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad in 2025 with a personal best of 296kg (128kg snatch and 168kg clean and jerk).
Later that year, he finished ninth at the World Weightlifting Championships in Forde, Norway with another personal best of 299kg (130kg snatch + 169kg clean and jerk).