CWG 2026: Lovepreet Singh wins silver in +110kg Weightlifting; Kujur out early

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Indian weightlifter Lovepreet Singh captured the silver medal in the men’s +110 kg heavyweight division at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026.

The Indian lifter put on an exceptional performance and seemed poised to secure gold until a remarkable final lift by New Zealand’s David Andrew Liti dramatically reshaped the standings.

Lovepreet maintained outstanding consistency and composure throughout the contest, remaining ahead of the field for most of the event. He initially established his lead by successfully landing all three snatch attempts, topping out at 176 kg.

However, Liti delivered a dramatic finish on his final clean and jerk attempt, hoisting a massive 223 kg to steal victory. The New Zealander wiped out a 15 kg deficit in a single attempt to edge out Lovepreet by just one kilogram, denying the Indian athlete a gold medal despite a standout display.

The silver finish marks an upgrade from the bronze medal Lovepreet earned at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. His podium finish concluded India’s weightlifting campaign at the 2026 Games, bringing the nation’s total tally in weightlifting and para-weightlifting combined to nine medals.

Born in Bal Sikander village within Punjab’s border district of Amritsar, Lovepreet hails from a modest background; his father worked as a tailor, and his grandfather sold vegetables for a living. Supported by his family to build a career in athletics rather than continuing the family trades, he began training in weightlifting at age 13 at the DAV Ground, eventually rising to become one of India’s top heavyweight competitors.

Animesh Kujur and shot putters miss out on track and field finals

In track and field events, Indian sprinter Animesh Kujur saw his Commonwealth Games campaign draw to a close on Thursday after failing to advance to the men’s 200m final. The 23-year-old recorded a time of 20.65 seconds to finish sixth in the second semifinal, placing 17th overall among 24 runners. His semifinal time was off his season-best mark of 20.46 seconds, which had previously seen him win his heat and qualify seventh overall.

Meanwhile, Indian shot putters Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill put up determined efforts in the men’s shot put final at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow but finished outside the medal spots. Toor secured fifth place with a top throw of 20.27 meters, while Gill achieved seventh position after registering a season-best mark of 20.03 meters.

(With inputs from agencies)

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