Rishikanta Singh won the silver medal. (Photo- PTI)
Rishikanta Singh: Indian athletes continue to perform brilliantly in the Commonwealth Games 2026 being held in Glasgow. India’s star weightlifter Chanambam Rishikanta Singh has won the silver medal by showing excellent performance in the men’s 60kg category. This is India’s second silver medal in this competition. Rishikanta Singh lifted 121 kg in snatch round and 143 kg in clean and jerk. By lifting a total weight of 264 kg, he has won this historic medal for India. In this event, Anik Kasdan of Malaysia won the gold medal, while the lifter from Kenya had to be satisfied with the bronze medal.
Created identity on the basis of army after coming out of Manipur
27 year old Rishikanta Singh, originally from Imphal West, Manipur, has achieved continuous success at the national and international level on the basis of his talent. His training was done under the sports setup of the Indian Army, from where he emerged as one of the most reliable light weight lifters of India. He also created a record in the Commonwealth Games 2026, Rishikant Singh lifted 121 kg in the snatch round, this is a new record for the Commonwealth Games.
Journey from 55 kg to 60 kg category
Rishikanta Singh made his Commonwealth Games debut in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, where he participated in the 55 kg category. After this he changed his category and entered 60 kg. This change proved to be an important turning point in his career. By winning the silver medal in Glasgow 2026, Rishikanta Singh has proved that even after entering the new category, his performance has become stronger.
His strong performances in recent years
- 2024 National Weightlifting Championship: Playing in the 61 kg category, he created a new national record with a spectacular snatch of 124 kg.
- 2025 World Weightlifting Championship: Here he finished 11th in the 60 kg category by lifting a total weight of 269 kg.
- 2025 Ahmedabad Commonwealth Championship: In Ahmedabad, he gave the best performance of his career and lifted a total weight of 271 kg and won the gold medal. On the basis of this performance, he qualified directly for Glasgow 2026.
