Muthupandi Raja sets new National Record at National Weightlifting Championships

He lifted a combined record 279kg in men’s 61kg category.

Muthupandi Raja of the Indian Railways has set a new national record in men’s 61kg category at the National Weightlifting Championships. Raja lifted a total of 279kg, comprising 121kg in snatch and 158kg in clean and jerk events, surpassing the previous national record of 272kg, held by Shubham.

Raja’s victory was hard-fought, as he faced stiff competition from Services’ Gururaja Poojary, a former Commonwealth Games silver and bronze medallist. Despite the intense competition, Raja emerged victorious, demonstrating his superior strength and technique.

Indian Railways' Muthupandi Raja has set a new National Record in men's 61kg with a total lift of 279kg (121kg Snatch + 158kg C&J) at the National Weightlifting Championships!! 🏋️The previous National Record stood at 272kg!! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/1G41Jj20VL

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) December 31, 2023

This is not the first time Raja has tasted victory on the national stage. He previously won the gold medal at the 2019 and 2022 National Championships, defeating Gururaja on both occasions.

In the women’s 45kg weight category, Deepali Gursale of the Railways also made her mark by winning the gold medal. She lifted a total of 160kg, defeating Chandrika Tarafdar of West Bengal, who had won a medal at the World Youth Weightlifting in 2012. Tarafdar, however, clinched gold in the interstate category.

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The junior category of the 61kg weight class saw S. Muthiyamanian of Tamil Nadu winning the gold medal, while Rudreshwar, also from Tamil Nadu, won the silver. The bronze medal went to Chera Taniya of Arunachal Pradesh.

In the youth category of the same weight bracket, Anush Lokhande of Maharashtra and Sadanand Bariha of Odisha won silver medals, while Sumit Rajput of Madhya Pradesh won the bronze.

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