VIZIANAGARAM: Valluri Ajaya Babu, hailing from Kondavelagada village under Nellimarla mandal in Vizianagaram district, won the silver medal in the men’s 79kg category at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 21-year-old claimed silver by lifting 149kg in snatch and 181kg in clean and jerk for a total of 330kg, narrowly missing out on gold to Malaysia’s Erry Hidayat Muhammad, who totalled a Games record 331kg (147+184) during a gripping contest on Monday night. England’s Chris Murray claimed the bronze medal with a combined lift of 325kg.
Ajaya’s father, Valluri Srinivasa Rao, won Commonwealth bronze in 2010, putting Kondavelagada on the global map. Sixteen years later, Ajaya carried forward the family’s weightlifting legacy with a silver medal.
Ajaya Babu has won nine gold medals, including the Junior Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship-2023 and Senior Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship-2024, besides two silver and two bronze medals at various national and international events. His father first discovered his talent in weightlifting. Ajaya later moved to Vijayawada for formal coaching before joining the Army Sports Institute, eventually becoming one of the top weightlifters from the region.
Speaking to TNIE, Ajaya Babu’s father and 2010 Commonwealth bronze medallist Valluri Srinivasa Rao said, “Ajaya Babu is just six-year-old boy when in clinch bronze medal in 2010 Commonwealth Games held at New Delhi. Now, he becomes a top weightlifter and representing India on international platforms. I am very happy that he continued my legacy in weightlifting bringing laurels to my village as well as my nation. I thank all mighty, family members, friends, weightlifting associations and all supporters for their outstanding cooperation in clinching silver in commonwealth games.”
Chief Minister N Chandrabababu Naidu praised Valluri Ajay Babu for winning the Commonwealth Games silver medal, expressing hope that he would bring greater laurels to the district in future.
On Tuesday, MSME Minister felicitated K Srinivas felicitated Ajay Babu’s father, Valluri Srinivasa Rao, at his camp office along with former MLC Pakalapati Raghu Varma.
Srinivas said, “My close friend Srinivasa Rao has trained hundreds of weightlifters and molded them into champions. It is a matter of tremendous pride that his son is carrying forward that legacy by winning a Commonwealth medal. Father then and son now have etched Vizianagaram’s name permanently on the global sports map.”
