From Delhi To Glasgow: Ajaya Babu Extends Family’s Commonwealth Games Legacy, Wins Silver Medal 16 Years After Father Won Bronze

Valluri Ajaya Babu etched his name in history after he clinched a silver medal in the men's 79kg weightlifting final in Glasgow. The 21-year-old, playing in his first Commonwealth Games, was lost in an intense battle for gold, eventually missing out by just 1kg to Malaysia's Erry Hidayat Muhammad.

The win for Ajaya babu continues his family tradition. Babu's father was also a professional weightlifter, who competed in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. One of the pioneers of weightlifting in his region, Valluri Srinivasa Rao had won the bronze. His son, 16 years later, has gone a step further ahead.

'Like father, like son'

Ajaya Babu turned to weightlifting having watched his father train young wards in his village and his work place. Rao retired in 2018, while Ajaya took up the family's legacy into professional weightlifting.

Srinivasa Rao had missed out on selection in the 2006 Commonwealth Games, but made his mark in New Delhi. He had suffered a hamstring injury a month before the competition, but fought through it to secure a bronze.

"I was confident of bagging a gold but suffered a hamstring injury a month before the Games. That hampered my performance as I ended up with a bronze medal in the 56kg. I desperately want Ajay to win the gold for me," Rao told the New Indian Express.

While the gold still remains a dream, there is no shame in the defeat as Ajaya Babu contested in one of the most fiercest contests at the SEC Armadillo. A 1kg margin saw the Malaysian win the top spot.

Incidentally, Erry Hidayat Muhammad entered the competition with a similar dream, hoping to recreate the glory achieved by his father Hidayat Hamidon. Hidayat had won gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, and Erry matched that achievement by reaching the top of the podium. Erry had won the silver in CWG 2022, and bettered it in Glasgow. Ajaya Babu will hope that it is his turn when the Games return in 2030.