CM Vijay awards Rs 30 lakh to Commonwealth silver medallist Raja Muthupandi

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced a Rs 30 lakh cash incentive for weightlifter Raja Muthupandi after his silver medal-winning performance in the men's 65kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2026, praising his achievement and its inspirational impact on young athletes

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has announced a cash incentive of Rs 30 lakh for weightlifter Raja Muthupandi, who secured a silver medal in the men’s 65kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Congratulating the athlete on his achievement, the Chief Minister said the reward was in recognition of his outstanding performance and expressed confidence that the medal-winning feat would inspire young sportspersons across the State.

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Raja finished with a total of 286kg (126kg+160kg). Raja opened with a successful 125kg snatch before improving to 126kg on his second attempt. He was unable to clear 129kg with his final lift. In the clean and jerk, he successfully lifted 158kg and 160kg before failing at 170kg in his final attempt. The effort earned him the silver medal.

Hailing the achievement as a proud moment for Tamil Nadu and India, Chief Minister Vijay extended his heartfelt congratulations to the young weightlifter through a message on social media. He described Muthupandi’s performance as a record-setting accomplishment and praised his perseverance on the international stage.

Announcing the Rs 30 lakh cash award, the Chief Minister said the Tamil Nadu government would honour the athlete’s success with one of the State’s highest sports incentives. He expressed hope that Muthupandi’s achievement would motivate aspiring athletes to pursue excellence in sports and bring greater recognition to Tamil Nadu.

“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.

In 2025, Raja won silver at the Commonwealth Championships (296 kg) and set a new personal best of 299 kg (130 kg snatch + 169 kg clean and jerk) at the World Championships in Førde, Norway, finishing 9th in the 65 kg category, making him one of India’s top male lifters heading toward LA 2028.