Muthupandi Raja
Indian weightlifter (born 2000)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Raja Muthupandi (born 12 January 2000) is an Indian weightlifter.[1] He won the silver medal in the men's 65 kg category at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.[1]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 12 January 2000 Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu, India | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Weightlifting | ||||||||||||||||||||
Weight class | 65 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
Raja was born on 12 January 2000 in Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu.[2][3] His father was a daily wage worker. Raja was introduced to weightlifting at the age of 12. In 2014, he started training at a training center run by the Sports Authority of India. He has been coached by Vijay Sharma since 2016.[4] He is employed by the Indian Railways since 2018.[3][4]
Career
Raja was part of the Indian contingent for the 2018 Commonwealth Games held in Gold Coast, Queensland. In the 62 kg event, he finished sixth with a total lift of 266 kg (586 lb) including 116 kg (256 lb) in snatch and 150 kg (330 lb) in clean & jerk.[4][5] He suffered a ligament tear in his right elbow during the 2019 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships that required surgery.[3][6]
Raja returned to competing in the 2021 National Championships, and won a bronze medal.[6] However, he failed to qualify for the 2022 Commonwealth Games due to his third place finish in the national event.[7] In the 2024 National Championships, he won the gold medal and set several national records in the men's 61 kg category with a total lift of 289 kg (637 lb) including 124 kg (273 lb) in snatch and 165 kg (364 lb) in clean & jerk.[3]
In the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships at Ahmedabad, Raja won the silver medal in the 65 kg category with a personal best lift of 296 kg (653 lb).[4][8] In the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships in Førde, Norway, he finished ninth with a total lift of 299 kg (659 lb).[3] In the 2026 National Championships, he won the gold medal in the 65 kg category with a new national record of 302 kg (666 lb) including 130 kg (290 lb) in snatch and 172 kg (379 lb) in clean & jerk.[4][6]
Raja was part of the Indian contingent for the 2026 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow. In the 65 kg event, he won the silver medal with a total lift of 286 kg (631 lb).[9] In snatch, he cleared 126 kg (278 lb) in his second attempt, before failing to lift 129 kg (284 lb) in his third and final attempt. In clean & jerk, he cleared 160 kg (350 lb) in his second attempt, and failed to lift 170 kg (370 lb) in his third and final attempt.[10][11]
