Commonwealth Games: Ajaya clinches silver, does one better than dad

Ajaya Babu grew up accompanying his father, Valluri Srinivasa Rao, to weightlifting competitions, learning the finer aspects of the sport from him. Inspired by Rao, who won a bronze medal in the men’s 56kg category at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, Ajaya arrived in Glasgow for his debut Games determined to make his dad proud.

He did exactly that, although he was left disappointed after missing the gold by a whisker in the men’s 79kg event at the Scottish Event Campus here on Monday night. The 21-year-old from Kondavelagada village in Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district finished with the silver. He managed a total lift of 330kg, just 1kg behind Malaysia’s Muhammad Erry Hidayat, who created Games records in clean and jerk (184) and total (331).

Ajaya, too, produced a Games record of 149 in the snatch while Hidayat managed 147. Ajaya lifted 181 in clean and jerk.

“I should have done better. I dedicate the medal to Indian Weightlifting Federation, coaches, support staff and my father. I followed the sport after seeing my father who has been my inspiration. I wanted to win gold but couldn’t. I will try to win it next time,” Ajaya said.