Tamil Nadu Chief Minister:
Chennai, July 27 (IANS ) 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.
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.
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.
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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.