From Bal Sikander to Glasgow: The rise of CWG silver medallist Lovepreet | Other Sports News

India’s Lovepreet Singh came within touching distance of a Commonwealth Games gold before settling for silver in the men’s +110kg weightlifting event at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on Thursday.

The 28-year-old lifted a combined 388kg (176kg in the snatch and 212kg in the clean and jerk), finishing just one kilogram behind New Zealand’s David Andrew Liti, who claimed gold with a total of 389kg (166kg + 223kg). England’s Andrew Griffith took bronze with 356kg.

Lovepreet’s silver upgraded the bronze medal he won at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and also ended India’s run of three medalless weightlifting events.

His performance capped a successful campaign for the Indian weightlifting contingent, which finished the Games with eight medals.

Who is Lovepreet Singh?

Born on September 6, 1997, in Bal Sikander village in Punjab’s Amritsar district, Lovepreet Singh grew up in a modest household.

His father worked as a tailor, while his grandfather earned a livelihood by selling vegetables. Rather than following the family profession, Lovepreet was encouraged to pursue sport and took up weightlifting at the age of 13 at the DAV Ground in Amritsar.

From Bal Sikander to the Commonwealth podium

Lovepreet announced himself on the international stage by winning silver in the men’s 109kg category at the 2021 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships.

A year later, he secured bronze at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, earning India’s first medal in the men’s heavyweight division at those Games.

Following the restructuring of international weight categories, Lovepreet moved into the men’s +110kg division, where he continued to establish himself among the world’s top heavyweight lifters.

His silver medal at Glasgow 2026 marks his second successive Commonwealth Games podium finish and underlines his consistency on the international stage.

An impressive resume

Lovepreet has steadily built an impressive international resume over the past few years.

His medal-winning performances include silver at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in the men’s +110kg category, bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the men’s 109kg category, and silver at the 2021 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships.

The Glasgow campaign also saw him rewrite the Commonwealth Games record books after producing a snatch lift of 176kg, setting a new Games record in the discipline.

The road to CWG 2026 silver

Lovepreet looked destined for gold after a sensational performance in the snatch.

He opened with a comfortable 168kg before successfully clearing 173kg on his second attempt. On his final attempt, the Punjab lifter produced a flawless 176kg lift to set a new Commonwealth Games snatch record and carry a commanding 10kg advantage into the clean and jerk.

His chances improved further after Samoa’s Sanele Mao, one of the pre-event favourites, failed all three snatch attempts.

The clean and jerk, however, belonged to New Zealand’s David Liti.

Liti opened with 207kg before Lovepreet successfully matched his personal best of 212kg on his second attempt. With the crowd chanting “Come on, Jatta” and “Come on, Singh”, Lovepreet attempted 217kg on his final lift — a weight that would have broken the Commonwealth Games record and secured gold.

Although he managed to clean the bar, he could not complete the jerk.

That left the door open for Liti, who responded with a Games-record clean-and-jerk lift of 223kg to finish with a total of 389kg and snatch the gold by a single kilogram.

“I thought I would win gold after snatch but it was up to God. Little disappointed that I couldn’t lift in my final attempt in clean and jerk. I have lifted more in training,” Lovepreet said after the competition.

What’s next for Lovepreet?

Winning silver at Glasgow further strengthens Lovepreet Singh’s position as India’s leading heavyweight weightlifter.

Having now won medals at consecutive Commonwealth Games and established himself as a record-holder at the event, the Punjab lifter will shift his focus to the World Weightlifting Championships, Asian Championships and the qualification cycle for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

With his performances continuing to improve in the +110kg category, Lovepreet remains one of India’s strongest medal hopes at major international competitions.