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India's Rishikanta Singh Chanambam delivered a record-breaking performance in the men's 60kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Sunday, lifting 121kg in the snatch to set a new Commonwealth Games record before Malaysia's Mohamad Aniq Kasdan matched the mark to leave the two medal contenders tied at the top after the opening discipline, according to ESPN.
Entering the competition as one of the favourites after winning gold at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad, Rishikanta began his campaign with a successful lift of 116kg before smoothly clearing 119kg to move to the top of the standings. With the previous Commonwealth Games snatch record standing at 120kg, the Indian opted for 121kg on his final attempt. Showing remarkable composure, Rishikanta executed the lift cleanly to register a new Games record and improve his personal best. However, his lead was short-lived as Malaysia's Mohamad Aniq Kasdan, the Commonwealth record holder in the total, also successfully lifted 121kg moments later to equal the new Games mark. The two medal contenders finished the snatch phase tied at the top with 121kg each, setting up an intense battle in the clean and jerk. Kenya's Joshua Mboya occupied third place after producing a personal-best snatch of 115kg, while Sri Lanka's Supun Dilhara Somathilaka was fourth with 109kg. Heading into the clean and jerk, Rishikanta declared an opening attempt of 145kg, while Kasdan opted to start at 150kg. With both lifters level after the opening discipline, the contest for the Commonwealth Games gold medal remained finely poised, with the combined total from the snatch and clean and jerk set to determine the final podium. (ANI)
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