Vizianagaram’s Valluri Ajaya Babu wins silver in men’s 79kg weightlifting at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, setting a new Games record in snatch.
Ajaya Babu’s Commonwealth Games Performance
Valluri Ajaya Babu, a weightlifter from Vizianagaram district, secured a silver medal in the men’s 79kg category at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. His performance included a Games record in the snatch discipline. This achievement marks a significant moment for the athlete, surpassing his father’s previous Commonwealth Games showing.
Ajaya Babu recorded a best snatch lift of 149kg and a clean and jerk of 181kg, leading to a total lift of 330kg. He narrowly missed the gold medal by just 1kg to Malaysia’s Erry Hidayat Muhammad, who achieved a total of 331kg. England’s Chris Murray earned the bronze medal with a total of 325kg.
The competition in the men’s 79kg category was intense. Ajaya Babu began the snatch section with a successful lift of 145kg, immediately setting a Games record. He later improved this to 149kg in his final attempt, further rewriting the record. Following the snatch section, Murray was in second place with 148kg, while Erry Hidayat Muhammad was third with 147kg.
In the clean and jerk section, Erry Hidayat Muhammad took the lead with a 177kg lift on his first attempt, while Ajaya Babu lifted 174kg. Erry then lifted 181kg, and Ajaya Babu followed with 178kg. In his final attempt, Ajaya Babu lifted 181kg, but Erry successfully lifted 184kg, securing the gold medal by a narrow margin.
A Family Legacy in Weightlifting
Ajaya Babu’s silver medal represents an improvement on his father, Valluri Srinivasa Rao’s, Commonwealth Games performance. Rao had previously won a bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in the 56kg category. Rao, a multiple national champion, had aimed for gold in 2010 but suffered a hamstring injury a month before the event, which impacted his performance.
The village of Kondavelagada in Vizianagaram district, where Ajaya Babu and his father hail from, has a notable history in weightlifting. With a population of approximately 3,000, the village has produced around 20 international and about 40 national weightlifters, with Rao being a pioneering figure in this tradition.
Despite Rao’s success in weightlifting and his coaching roles, there was an initial consideration for Ajaya Babu to pursue badminton. Pullela Gopichand, a friend of Rao’s, had suggested that Ajaya Babu join his academy in Hyderabad. However, Ajaya Babu’s mother believed he was too young to move away, leading him and his younger brother, Akhil, to grow up immersed in the weightlifting environment of their village.
Path to Glasgow and Future Prospects
Ajaya Babu’s journey to the 2026 Commonwealth Games included significant prior achievements. He won the gold medal in the men’s 79kg category at the 2025 Commonwealth Championships in Ahmedabad. During this competition, he set new championship records with a personal-best total lift of 335kg, comprising a 152kg snatch and a 183kg clean and jerk.
This performance at the 2025 Commonwealth Championships secured his direct qualification for the Glasgow 2026 Games. Earlier, in the 2024 Commonwealth Championships held in Suva, Fiji, Ajaya Babu earned double gold medals in both the junior and senior divisions of the men’s 81kg category. He also placed 16th overall among 39 lifters at the 2025 World Championships in Forde, Norway.
The silver medal won by Ajaya Babu is India’s sixth medal in weightlifting at the current edition of the Commonwealth Games. His performance, including a Games record snatch lift, highlights his potential in the sport.
Source: newindianexpress.com
