Rishikant Singh Chanambam Wins Silver Medal: India’s star weightlifter Rishikant Singh Chanambam performed brilliantly in the Commonwealth Games 2026 and won the silver medal in the men’s 60 kg weight category event. The 28-year-old weightlifter from Manpur lifted a total of 264 kg (snatch 121 kg + clean and jerk 143 kg) to give India its first medal of the fourth day. Rishikant also created a new Commonwealth Games record by lifting 121 kg in snatch during the performance.
However, Malaysia’s Bin Kasdan Mohd Anik later equaled this record and won the gold medal with a total lift of 273 kg, while Kenya’s Joshua Amunga Mboya was the bronze medalist with 260 kg.
The silver medal is an important achievement in Rishikant’s career. This is the result of years of continuous hard work and discipline. Born on 5 July 1998 in Ngairangbam Makha Maning Leikai in Imphal West district of Manipur, Rishikant started his weightlifting journey from the National Sports Academy in Khuman Lampak. Despite limited resources, he traveled to national and international level on the basis of his passion and hard work.
Rishikant started showcasing his talent at the Commonwealth level from an early age. She won gold at the 2016 Junior Commonwealth Championships and also won gold at the 2019 Senior Commonwealth Championships. After this, he has consistently performed well in international competitions.
The biggest turning point of his career came at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships, where he won the gold medal in the men’s 60 kg category with a total lift of 271 kg. During this, he also created a new national record by performing 120 kg in snatch and 151 kg in clean and jerk. This achievement made him one of India’s strongest hopes for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Glasgow 2026 was Rishikant’s second Commonwealth Games. Earlier, he had represented India in the 55 kg category at Birmingham 2022. After the change in international weight category, he moved to 60 kg category and in a very short time became one of the top contenders in this category. In the 2024 National Weightlifting Championship, he also created a national record by lifting 124 kg in the snatch of 61 kg category.
The start of their match in Glasgow was very balanced. Successfully lifted the weight of 116 kg in the first attempt, then easily crossed 119 kg. In the third attempt, he created a new Commonwealth Games record by lifting 121 kg. It turned out to be one of the most memorable lifts of his career and kept him firmly in the medal race.
In clean and jerk, Rishikant successfully lifted 143 kg weight, but both the attempts of 148 and 151 kg were unsuccessful. Due to this, his total score was 264 kg, which proved to be enough to get him the silver medal. Aneek of Malaysia won the gold medal with a total score of 273 kg, setting a new Games record.
Well-planned preparation was also behind this success. Before the Commonwealth Games, Rishikant practiced at the national training camp in Modinagar, Uttar Pradesh. Apart from this, he participated in the Asian Senior Weightlifting Championship held in Gandhinagar and then for the final preparation, he trained in the acclimatization camp organized at Warley Weightlifting Club, Birmingham.
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At the age of just 28, Rishikant Singh Chanambam has become one of the most trusted faces of Indian weightlifting. With a Commonwealth Championship gold medal, a Commonwealth Games silver medal, a national record and now a Commonwealth Games record in snatch, she has proved that India will expect bigger achievements from her in the years to come.
With agency input…
