CHENNAI: Five years ago, Muthupandi Raja fell off the weightlifting platform while trying a snatch lift and injured his right thumb. A part of the national camp then, Raja's right elbow started hurting due to the injury in days to follow which made him visit Pune and meet the expert, who advised him surgery.
The Tamil Nadu weightlifter already had surgery in his left elbow in 2019. He had torn ligament of his left elbow while lifting 123kg in the snatch section during the Commonwealth Championships. The surgery kept him out of action for almost two years and Raja didn't want to undergo the same trauma once again, especially with the qualifiers for the 2022 Commonwealth Games scheduled to start soon.
Desperate to represent India at the CWG, Raja competed at the 2021 national championships only to finish third. He then competed in the selection trials to earn a spot in the national team for the two CWG qualifiers. As fate would have it, his name was struck off the list for the two qualifiers forcing him to miss the Birmingham CWG.
Having made his international comeback with the 2025 Commonwealth Championships held in Ahmedabad, Raja caught up with time as he won a silver medal in the 65kg in Glasgow on Sunday. He failed to lift 126kg in his first attempt in the snatch section but completed it in the next to stay in the hunt for a medal. He could not complete the third and final attempt of 129kg but ended in second place behind Malaysia's Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamad, whose best was 133kg.
Raja then failed to lift 158kg in his first attempt in the clean and jerk section but heaved 160kg in his next attempt to maintain his second position. The Malaysian lifter won the gold with a total lift of 299kg (133+166) setting Games record in both sections and also the overall lift. Morea Baru of Papua New Guinea finished third with 282kg total lift (125+157).
Modest background
Hailing from Kovilpatti town in Tuticorin, Raja's parents are daily wage labourers. His father works with the matchbox industry while mother does the cleaning work at a local confectioner's shop. His elder brother also pursued weightlifting but left it after a few years and now works as a labourer.
'Thought of quitting sport once'
Given the financial condition of his family, Raja, who is employed with the electrical department of Indian Railways in Chennai, once thought of quitting the sport and pursuing some course that can earn him more income. "My friend was a strength and conditioning coach in Bhubaneswar and he called me there for a three-month internship programmme. I completed that and got A Level Certificate but then saw lifters there going about their routines. My friend also advised me to continue with lifting. Then I returned to Chennai and started training again," Raja had told this daily before making his international return last year. He made a comeback at the Commonwealth Championships held in Ahmedabad and won a silver medal at the event.
Three surgeries between 2019 and 2025
Raja underwent three surgeries between 2019 and 2025. First, he had surgery in his left elbow and then went under the knife for appendicitis. He then tore his lateral meniscus of left knee while setting records at the 2023 nationals and was operated for the same. In this period, he also battled severe health issues and was diagnosed with dengue twice and jaundice once. He also suffered weight loss due to jaundice.