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Indian weightlifter Raja Muthupandi dedicated his Commonwealth Games 2026 silver medal to his parents and coach Vijay Sharma, while admitting he was disappointed at missing out on the gold medal in the men's 65kg event in Glasgow.
"I am certainly disappointed because my coach had placed his trust in me, believing we would put in the full effort to win gold. However, I didn't perform well. I dedicate this win to my parents and my coach, Vijay Sharma. I will focus on the lessons learned here and concentrate on my training. I will train according to my coach's instructions and work hard moving forward," Raja told ANI after the event. The 26-year-old produced a combined lift of 286kg to finish second on the podium, earning India its third medal of the day and continuing the country's impressive run in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games. Raja recorded a best lift of 126kg in the snatch on his second attempt before successfully lifting 160kg in the clean and jerk, also on his second attempt, to seal the silver medal. Malaysia's Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamed clinched the gold medal with a Commonwealth Games record total of 299kg, completing a hat-trick of Commonwealth Games titles after his triumphs at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. The silver marked a remarkable comeback for Raja, whose career was threatened by a serious elbow ligament injury in 2019. His rehabilitation was further delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, while the rise of Olympic champion Jeremy Lalrinnunga in the higher weight category kept him out of India's squad for the Birmingham 2022 Games. Raja returned to contention following the introduction of the 65kg category and rebuilt his career with consistent performances, including a ninth-place finish at the 2025 World Championships, where he registered a personal-best total of 299kg. His podium finish added to India's successful day in weightlifting after Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu claimed her third successive Commonwealth Games gold in the women's 48kg category, while Chanambam Rishikanta Singh secured silver in the men's 60kg event. India's boxing campaign, however, suffered its first setback of the Games as Aditya Pratap Yadav exited the men's competition after a narrow 3-2 split-decision defeat to Uganda's Nuhu Batte in the pre-quarterfinals. (ANI)
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