Heading into the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, weightlifting was widely expected to be one of India’s most reliable medal-winning sports, and the results so far have backed up that expectation — much like the growth story described in India’s athletics revolution explained. India’s 11-member squad, led by three-time champion Mirabai Chanu, arrived in Glasgow with the team having topped the weightlifting medal table at both Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022.
Early results proved the confidence was well placed, with Mirabai Chanu’s gold in the women’s 48kg category followed by a string of silver and bronze finishes from Rishikanta Singh, Muthupandi Raja, Gyaneshwari Yadav, Valluri Ajaya Babu, Bindyarani Devi and Harjinder Kaur (see the full medal list and squad report). With shooting, wrestling and badminton absent from this year’s Games, weightlifting has taken on even greater importance for India’s overall medal tally.
With several weight categories still to be contested as the Games moved into their final days, India’s weightlifting team remained on track to finish among the top nations in the sport once again.