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Chennai: The silver medal that Tamil Nadu weightlifter Muthupandi Raja won on Sunday probably belonged as much to his parents as it did to him. Their years of back-breaking work as daily wage labourers gave their son the chance to chase a dream that found its defining moment in Glasgow. The medal was the culmination of a journey that nearly came to an abrupt end. Injuries and health setbacks made Raja contemplate quitting the sport, but his family and coaches stood firmly behind him. He suffered an injury during the 2019 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships and underwent surgery, keeping him out of action for nearly two years. In 2022, he was diagnosed with jaundice and later underwent an appendicitis surgery, which sidelined him for almost another year. It was during this difficult phase that he thought of quitting the sport. However, the enforced break helped him complete a course in strength and conditioning, besides learning about sports science, which taught him how to deal with injuries. Raja’s elder brother, Suresh, who was also a national-level weightlifter, told TOI that this was “just the beginning”. “This silver should be an inspiration for Raja and we want to see him compete at the Olympics,” Suresh told TOI. For Raja, it all began in a small gym in Sankaralingapuram village in Thoothukudi district, where he trained alongside Suresh. Seeing the brothers’ physique, local coaches persuaded them to take up weightlifting. Raja’s talent quickly shone through, earning him a place at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) training centre in Mayiladuthurai within a year. But the brothers’ journeys eventually took different paths. Suresh was forced to quit the sport three years ago due to financial constraints. “Seeing my brother win a medal in Glasgow feels like winning the medal myself. What I could not achieve, he has done. The struggles have finally paid off,” said Suresh, who now does odd jobs. “We did not know anything about weightlifting initially as we had gone to the gym for strength training. When we asked our parents if we could pursue weightlifting, they told us to do what we liked and supported us wholeheartedly. My father bought us whatever we needed by taking loans from villagers, and the people in our village were equally supportive.”
