Rishikanta Singh: Indian Army Weightlifter Who Won Historic Silver With CWG Snatch Record
Weightlifter Rishikanta Singh Chanambam won India's second medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow.
- Rishikanta Singh Chanambam won silver in men's 60kg weightlifting at Commonwealth Games 2026
- He set a Games record in snatch with a lift of 121kg at the event in Glasgow
- Apart from his heroics in weightlifting, Rishikanta is also representing the Indian army
Weightlifter Rishikanta Singh Chanambam won India's second medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow. He secured a silver medal in the men's 60kg weightlifting event after registering a combined lift of 264kg across the snatch and clean and jerk disciplines. Rishikanta, who broke the Games record in the snatch with a lift of 121kg, managed 143kg on his only successful clean and jerk attempt. However, he had to settle for silver as Malaysia's Mohamad Aniq bin Kasdan claimed gold after setting Games records in both the clean and jerk (152kg) and total lift (273kg).
Kenya's Joshua Amunga Mboya took bronze with a total lift of 260kg (115kg + 145kg), edging out Sri Lanka's SDSS Wiriduwagle, who recorded 244kg (109kg + 135kg).
Who is Rishikanta?
Raised in Imphal West, Manipur, Rishikanta's journey to the top has been shaped significantly by the training, guidance, and support provided by the Indian Army's sports programme. Currently, he is also representing the Indian Army
His breakthrough moment came at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad, where he clinched the gold medal in the 60kg category with a combined lift of 271kg.
The impressive performance not only earned him the top podium spot but also set a new national record and secured his direct qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The upcoming edition is Rishikanta's second appearance at the Games, having previously represented India in the men's 55kg event at Birmingham 2022 before transitioning to the newly introduced 60kg weight class.
Earlier, at the 2024 National Weightlifting Championships, he had underlined his potential by establishing a national snatch record of 124kg while competing in the 61kg division.
India's second medal
The silver was India's first medal in an able-bodied event at the ongoing Games. Before this, Jhandu Singh clinched the bronze medal in para powerlifting and opened India's tally.