NE SPORTS BUREAU
CHENNAI/NEW DELHI, JULY 27
From the clang of the weights in Glasgow to a wave of national pride in New Delhi and Tamil Nadu, Raja Muthupandi’s Commonwealth Games silver has become more than a podium finish—it is a powerful statement of India’s continuing strength in weightlifting and a reward for a young lifter steadily building his place among the country’s elite.
Raja’s 286-kg total in the men’s 65kg category earned him the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, prompting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to congratulate him and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to announce a ₹30-lakh cash incentive for the achievement.
- Raja Muthupandi’s 286-kg effort earns India silver in the men’s 65kg category at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the achievement makes every Indian ‘happy and proud’
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announces ₹30 lakh cash incentive for the State’s medal-winning lifter
- The 26-year-old’s international rise follows a 2025 Commonwealth silver and a 299-kg personal best at the World Championships
- Raja’s comeback and consistency strengthen India’s weightlifting hopes on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics
PM: ‘Every Indian happy and proud’
Congratulating Raja on his silver medal, Modi said the lifter’s success had made the entire country happy and proud.
Another medal for India in Weightlifting!
Congrats to Raja Muthupandi on winning a Silver in the Men’s 65 kg event at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. His success makes every Indian happy and proud. My best wishes for his upcoming endeavours.#CWG2026 pic.twitter.com/4e2hT8WHyX
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 27, 2026
“Another medal for India in Weightlifting! Congrats to Raja Muthupandi on winning a Silver in the Men’s 65 kg event at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. His success makes every Indian happy and proud. My best wishes for his upcoming endeavours,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X.
Raja’s silver was part of a highly successful day for Indian weightlifting in Glasgow, with India securing multiple medals in the sport.
CM Vijay announces ₹30-lakh reward
ஸ்காட்லாந்தின் கிளாஸ்கோ நகரில் நடைபெற்று வரும் 23-வது காமன்வெல்த் விளையாட்டுப் போட்டியில், ஆண்களுக்கான 65 கிலோ பளுதூக்கும் எடைப் பிரிவில் வெள்ளிப் பதக்கம் வென்று சாதனை படைத்துள்ள தமிழ்நாட்டின் தூத்துக்குடி மாவட்டத்தைச் சேர்ந்த வீரர் திரு. ராஜா முத்துப்பாண்டி அவர்களுக்கு எனது… pic.twitter.com/elI9Q6dUhN
— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) July 27, 2026
Hailing Raja’s performance as a matter of immense pride for Tamil Nadu and India, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced a ₹30-lakh cash incentive for the weightlifter.
Congratulating the athlete, Vijay said the reward recognised his outstanding performance and expressed confidence that the achievement would inspire young sportspersons across Tamil Nadu to pursue excellence in sports.
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Raja Muthupandi for winning the silver medal in the men’s 65kg weightlifting event at the Commonwealth Championships in Glasgow. His success is a matter of immense pride for Tamil Nadu. May this achievement inspire our youth, and I wish him many more victories that will bring honour to both Tamil Nadu and the nation,” Vijay said.
The State’s recognition comes as Raja continues to emerge as one of India’s leading male lifters in the 65kg category.
286 kg of power, precision and perseverance
Raja produced a combined lift of 286kg, comprising 126kg in the snatch and 160kg in the clean and jerk.
He opened the snatch competition with a successful 125kg lift before improving to 126kg on his second attempt. He was unable to clear 129kg in his final attempt.
In the clean and jerk, Raja successfully lifted 158kg and then 160kg before attempting 170kg in his final lift.
The total secured him the silver medal behind Malaysia’s Aznil Bidin, who won gold with a Commonwealth Games record total of 299kg.
From 2025 silver to 2028 Olympic ambition
Raja’s Glasgow performance adds another significant chapter to a rapidly developing international career.
In 2025, he won silver at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships with a total of 296kg. He subsequently registered a personal best of 299kg—130kg in the snatch and 169kg in the clean and jerk—at the World Championships in Førde, Norway, where he finished ninth in the 65kg category.
His latest Commonwealth Games silver further underlines his consistency at the highest level and strengthens his credentials as one of India’s leading male weightlifters with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games in sight.
A medal that could lift a generation
For Tamil Nadu, Raja’s achievement is both a sporting triumph and a message to the State’s aspiring athletes.
The ₹30-lakh incentive announced by the Chief Minister places the medal within a broader ecosystem of recognition and encouragement for sporting excellence.
For India, the silver adds to a strong weightlifting campaign in Glasgow.
For Raja, however, the medal represents something larger: the reward for staying in the contest, building strength through setbacks and continuing to lift higher.
As the national spotlight turns towards the next Olympic cycle, Raja Muthupandi’s Glasgow silver could well mark another decisive lift in a career that is still gathering momentum.
The bar has been raised. Raja has lifted it. The next target is higher.
