Glasgow, Scotland, July 28, 2026: Weightlifter Erry Hidayat followed in the footsteps of his father by winning Malaysia’s third gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Monday, July 27.
His father, Hidayat Hamidon, won a Commonwealth Games weightlifting gold at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur edition.
The victory, in the men's 79kg category, earned Erry his first Commonwealth Games gold medal, improving on the silver he claimed in the men’s 73kg category at Birmingham 2022.
Erry, 26, secured the title with a total lift of 331kg, comprising 147kg in the snatch and 184kg in the clean and jerk. His clean and jerk and overall total also set new Commonwealth Games records.
India’s Valluri Ajaya Babu took silver with a total of 330kg while England’s Chris Murray won the bronze with 325kg.
Erry delivered Malaysia’s third gold at the Games after Aniq Kasdan and Aznil Bidin won gold in the men’s 60kg and 65kg categories respectively on Sunday.
Malaysia lies seventh in the overall medal standings with three golds, plus two bronze medals, for five total medals.
Meanwhile, Sharmila Dhankar scripted one of India’s most memorable moments in Glasgow by winning the country’s first-ever para athletics gold in the women’s shot put F57. Compatriot Shilpa Shyla claimed the bronze medal.
Dhankar's gold medal strengthened India’s campaign at the Games, taking the country’s tally to 10 medals – two golds, five silvers and three bronze medals – to be placed eighth on the overall standings, one place behind Malaysia.
Dhankar delivered her finest performance of the season when it mattered most, producing a throw of 9.81 metres to comfortably secure gold and add to the gold medal won by weightlifter Mirabai Chanu.
India won two more silver medals in weightlifting on Monday – Valluri Ajaya Babu and Gyaneshwari Yadav. Sarvesh Kushare also won silver in the men’s high jump, clearing 2.25m.
