CWG 2026: Valluri Ajaya Babu wins silver in men’s 79kg weightlifting

Valluri Ajaya Babu is an Indian weightlifter from Andhra Pradesh who won the silver medal in the men’s 79kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland, on 27 July 2026. He lifted a total of 330kg, with 149kg in the snatch and 181kg in the clean and jerk.

Weightlifting Event Format

Olympic-style weightlifting has two competitive lifts, the snatch and the clean and jerk. The total score is the sum of the best successful lift in each discipline, and medals are awarded on the basis of the combined total in a weight category.

Commonwealth Games Weightlifting

Weightlifting has been a regular medal sport at the Commonwealth Games, which is a multi-sport event for athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The men’s 79kg class is one of the bodyweight categories used in international weightlifting competitions under the International Weightlifting Federation framework.

Career Record and Family Background

Ajaya Babu set a Commonwealth Games record in the snatch with 149kg during the 2026 event. He finished one kilogram behind Malaysia’s Erry Hidayat Muhammad, who won gold with a Games record total of 331kg. His father, Valluri Srinivasa Rao, won a bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Important Facts for Exams

• The snatch and the clean and jerk are the two lifts used in international weightlifting competitions.
• The Commonwealth Games 2026 were held in Glasgow, Scotland.
• Valluri Ajaya Babu was born on 25 November 2004 in Kondavelagada village, Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh.
• He won gold at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad with a total of 335kg.

Previous Achievements

In 2024, he won gold medals in both junior and senior categories at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships. He also won a silver medal at the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in 2024.