CM Vijay announces a ₹30 lakh cash reward for Tamil Nadu weightlifter Raja Muthupandi, who won silver in the men's 65kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow.
CM Vijay has announced a cash incentive of ₹30 lakh for weightlifter Raja Muthupandi, who won a silver medal in the men's 65kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. The Thoothukudi-district athlete finished with a combined lift of 286kg — 126kg in the snatch and 160kg in the clean and jerk — securing India's fourth medal and third weightlifting medal of the Games.
Muthupandi endured a tense competition at the Scottish Event Campus, missing his opening snatch attempt at 126kg before clearing it on his second try, and falling short of 129kg on his final lift. In the clean and jerk, he opened with a miss at 158kg before recovering to lift 160kg, briefly holding the lead before Malaysia's Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamed claimed gold with a record-breaking 299kg total.
The medal marks a comeback of sorts for Muthupandi, who overcame a serious 2019 elbow ligament injury that cost him a place at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. He had earlier won silver at the 2025 Commonwealth Championships with a total of 296kg, and set a personal best of 299kg (130kg snatch + 169kg clean and jerk) at the World Championships. Announcing the reward, CM Vijay said the Tamil Nadu government would honour the achievement with one of the state's highest sports incentives, expressing hope it would motivate aspiring athletes across Tamil Nadu.
Commonwealth Games Raja Muthupandi Weightlifting CM Vijay July 27, 2026