Ajaya Babu wins Commonwealth Games silver 16 years after father Srinivasa Rao's bronze

Ajaya Babu Valluri continued his family's Commonwealth Games legacy by winning the silver medal in the men's 79kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Monday.

The Indian lifter finished with a total lift of 330kg, missing the gold medal by just 1kg after Malaysia's E.H. Muhammad registered a Games record total of 331kg.

Son surpasses father's Commonwealth Games feat

Ajaya produced a memorable performance in the snatch, lifting 149kg to set a new Commonwealth Games record and move into the lead heading into the clean and jerk.

He followed it up with successful lifts of 174kg, 178kg and 181kg in the clean and jerk to finish with a combined total of 330kg. While the effort earned him the silver medal, it also saw him finish just one kilogram behind Muhammad in one of the closest weightlifting contests of the Games.

The medal carried added significance as Ajaya followed in the footsteps of his father, Valluri Srinivasa Rao, who won bronze in the men's 69kg event at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Sixteen years later, Ajaya has gone one better by securing silver and extending his family's Commonwealth Games legacy.

The result marks the biggest achievement of the Indian weightlifter's career and adds another medal to India's strong weightlifting campaign in Glasgow.

After setting a Games record in the snatch and pushing the eventual champion until the final lift, Ajaya has established himself as one of India's leading weightlifters on the international stage.