Commonwealth Games 2026 Day 3 Round-Up: India’s Golden Start Through Mirabai Chanu (26 July)
India’s Glasgow 2026 campaign roared into life on Sunday, 26 July, as the weightlifting platform at the SEC Armadillo delivered the nation’s first three medals of the Commonwealth Games. Saikhom Mirabai Chanu led the way with a record-shattering gold in the women’s 48kg, while Rishikanta Singh and Raja Muthupandi added a silver apiece to give India a golden — and silver-lined — start on Day 3.
India’s medals on 26 July
| Medal | Athlete | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 Gold | Mirabai Chanu | Women’s 48kg weightlifting | 190kg total (85kg snatch + 105kg C&J) — Games records |
| 🥈 Silver | Rishikanta Singh | Men’s 60kg weightlifting | 264kg total (121kg snatch + 143kg C&J) |
| 🥈 Silver | Raja Muthupandi | Men’s 65kg weightlifting | 286kg total (126kg snatch + 160kg C&J) |
Mirabai Chanu completes a golden hat-trick
The headline belonged to Mirabai Chanu, who became the first Indian to win gold at Glasgow 2026 and, in doing so, secured a third successive Commonwealth Games title after her triumphs in Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. The Manipuri lifter was in commanding form, hoisting 85kg in the snatch and 105kg in the clean and jerk for a combined 190kg — a total that rewrote the Commonwealth Games record book across the snatch, clean and jerk and overall categories.
It was a statement performance from an athlete who has carried India’s weightlifting hopes for the best part of a decade, and a fitting way to open the country’s account in Scotland. Chanu had been flagged as one of India’s surest medal bets in our Glasgow 2026 squad preview, and she delivered exactly as billed.
Rishikanta and Raja shine in the men’s events
The men’s platform added two more medals to the tally. Rishikanta Singh produced a superb effort in the men’s 60kg, lifting a combined 264kg — including a Games-record snatch of 121kg — to take silver behind Malaysia’s Mohamad Aniq Kasdan, who set a Games-record total of 273kg for gold.
Tamil Nadu’s Raja Muthupandi then matched him with silver in the men’s 65kg. Muthupandi managed 126kg in the snatch and 160kg in the clean and jerk for a 286kg total, pipped only by Malaysia’s Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamed, who claimed gold with a Games-record 299kg. Two silvers to go with Chanu’s gold made it a hugely encouraging opening day of weightlifting for the Indian contingent.
Global highlights from Day 3
Beyond the weightlifting hall, Sunday offered plenty of drama. Australia maintained a 100 per cent record in both the men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball, finishing top of their pools to progress directly to the semi-finals. The para-powerlifting also produced a stunning moment as Nigeria dominated the platform, with Folashade Oluwafemiayo setting a world record of 175kg in the women’s heavyweight category — one of the performances of the Games so far.
Look ahead: what’s next for India
Attention now shifts to Scotstoun Stadium, where the athletics programme gets under way from Monday, 27 July. The track-and-field action promises star quality throughout, with host-nation favourite Josh Kerr among the headline names — as detailed in our look at the star-studded Glasgow field. India’s field-event hopes, including the men’s shot put and triple jump contenders we previewed here, will build through the week, with Neeraj Chopra’s much-anticipated javelin campaign scheduled for later in the programme.
The weightlifting continues at the SEC Armadillo with more medal events through 30 July, so India will fancy adding to their tally in the days ahead. For the latest standings across every sport, keep an eye on our Sports Rankings & Standings hub.
A gold and two silvers is exactly the kind of start India would have hoped for. With athletics about to ignite and the weightlifters still in action, the momentum from Day 3 could not have come at a better time.