India's Valluri Ajaya Babu claimed the silver medal in the men's 79kg weightlifting final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, finishing just 1kg behind Malaysia's Erry Hidayat Muhammad. Competing in his Games debut, the 21-year-old bettered his father Valluri Srinivasa Rao's bronze-winning effort from the 2010 Commonwealth Games, extending the family's sporting legacy.

Valluri Ajaya Babu etched his name in history after he clinched a silver medal in the men's 79kg weightlifting final in Glasgow. The 21-year-old, playing in his first Commonwealth Games, was lost in an intense battle for gold, eventually missing out by just 1kg to Malaysia's Erry Hidayat Muhammad.

The win for Ajaya babu continues his family tradition. Babu's father was also a professional weightlifter, who competed in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. One of the pioneers of weightlifting in his region, Valluri Srinivasa Rao had won the bronze. His son, 16 years later, has gone a step further ahead.

'Like father, like son'

Ajaya Babu turned to weightlifting having watched his father train young wards in his village and his work place. Rao retired in 2018, while Ajaya took up the family's legacy into professional weightlifting.