# Ajaya Babu clinches Commonwealth silver, betters father’s bronze 2026-08-08T02:56:13+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Ajaya Babu won silver in the men’s 79kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, improving on the bronze his father Valluri Srinivasa Rao won in the 2010 edition. The 21-year-old from Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, lifted a total of 330kg, just 1kg behind Malaysia’s Muhammad Erry Hidayat, and set a Games record of 149kg in the snatch. Ajaya dedicated the medal to his father, who was his first coach and inspiration. Rao, a bronze medallist in 2010, had begun weightlifting by lifting temple festival stones. The family now includes Ajaya’s younger brother Akhil, an 18-year-old national record holder, both training under their father with an eye on the Olympics. ## Coverage - thehindu.com - newindianexpress.com Tags: Ajaya Babu, Commonwealth Games, Glasgow, India, silver medal, weightlifting Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/commonwealth-games-ajaya-babu-wins-silver-betters-fathers-bronze/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/commonwealth-games-ajaya-babu-wins-silver-betters-fathers-bronze/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.