Students of Chandigarh University Bags Gold and Silver Medals at Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026
Chandigarh University is flying the flag of success not only on the national stage but on the international stage as well. The University's students are putting up an outstanding display of their talent and bringing laurels to both the country and the University on the international stage. Two Chandigarh University students, Priya Ghanghas (Boxing) and Valluri Ajay Babu (Weightlifting), have brought pride to India and Chandigarh University with their brilliant performances at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. Teams from 74 countries took part in 10 different sports during the 11-day event.
At the Commonwealth Games 2026 held in Glasgow, international boxer and Chandigarh University BA student Priya Ghanghas won the gold medal in the 60 kg weight category, while international weightlifter and Chandigarh University BA student Valluri Ajay Babu secured the silver medal in the men's 79 kg weight category, bringing pride to the country.
Priya Ghanghas, a BA student at Chandigarh University, won India a gold medal in boxing at the Commonwealth Games 2026, put up a superb performance to claim the gold. The international boxer, who began her boxing career with gold medals at the Asian Under-22 and Under-19 Championships in 2025, delivered an exceptional performance in the 60 kg weight category and won the gold medal by defeating her opponent, Canada's Marie-Batoul Al-Ahmadieh, 4-1 in the final bout.
International boxer Priya, who hails from Haryana, has an outstanding international boxing record. In 2025, she displayed her boxing prowess at the Under-22 Asian Youth Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand, winning a silver medal in the 60 kg weight category. She also demonstrated her talent by winning a bronze medal in the 57 kg category at the Youth Asian Boxing Championship held in Astana, Kazakhstan, in 2023-24. In addition, Priya has brought laurels to the country by winning gold medals at the Asian Championship 2025-26, the Spain Boxam Cup and the Grand Prix European Tournament.
At the Asian Boxing Championship 2026 held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Priya won the gold medal by defeating North Korea's Won Un-gyong 3-0 in the final, and sealed her place in the Indian contingent for the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games.
Priya's achievements at the national level are no less significant. At the 6th Youth Women's National Boxing Championship 2023 held in Bhopal, Priya won the gold medal in the 57 kg category along with the title of Best Boxer. In addition, she claimed a silver medal at the 8th Elite Women's National Boxing Championship in 2024-25 in Greater Noida, India, and a gold medal at the 9th Elite Women's National Boxing Championship 2025-26.
In weightlifting, Valluri Ajay Babu delivered an extraordinary performance to secure the silver medal by lifting a total of 330 kg. He lifted 149 kg in the snatch and 181 kg in the clean and jerk. This achievement has reinforced his consistently outstanding performance in Indian weightlifting at the international level. Ajay Babu missed out on the gold medal in the final by just one kilogram.
Valluri Ajay Babu has performed brilliantly at the international level. He won a gold medal at the Junior Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship held in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, in July 2023, and thereafter displayed his talent by winning a gold medal at the Senior Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship held in Suva, Fiji, in 2024 as well.
Valluri Ajay Babu's performance at the national level has been outstanding as well. He proved his mettle by winning gold medals at the Youth, Junior and Senior National Weightlifting Championships in Patiala in 2021. In addition, he won gold medals at the Youth National Weightlifting Championship and the Junior National Weightlifting Championship in Bhubaneswar (Odisha) in 2022, and at the Khelo India Youth Games in Panchkula. He also won a silver medal at the Senior National Weightlifting Championship held in Tamil Nadu in December 2022-2023, and a gold medal at the Khelo India Youth Games in February 2023. In 2023-24 he won a bronze medal at the Youth, Junior and Senior National Weightlifting Championships held in Arunachal Pradesh, and a bronze medal at the Youth, Junior and Senior National Weightlifting Championship 2024 in Himachal Pradesh. With his brilliant performances, he displayed his talent by winning a silver medal at the 37th National Games 2023 held in Goa and a gold medal at the 38th National Games 2025 held in Uttarakhand.
Chandigarh University student Valluri Ajay Babu belongs to a weightlifting family from a small village in Andhra Pradesh. His father is a former international weightlifter who won a bronze medal in the 56 kg weight category at the Commonwealth Games held in Delhi in 2010. Carrying that legacy forward, Ajay Babu has secured a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026, sixteen years later. His brother is also a weightlifter.
Congratulating Priya Ghanghas and Valluri Ajay Babu, Chandigarh University Senior Managing Director Dipinder Singh Sandhu said, "They reflect the sports culture of Chandigarh University, where students are provided world-class facilities, training, opportunities and encouragement to excel in sports along with education. The success of both athletes has once again proved that Chandigarh University's players are writing India's story of victory not only on the national stage but on the international stage as well. Their success is an inspiration for the youth. Along with world-class facilities, the University also produces winners at the national and international levels. The University has allocated an annual budget of Rs 6.5 crore for sports. The University provides athletes and players with a special diet, sports kit, travel, coaching, hostel and all other facilities free of cost, so that they can focus on their performance without any constraints. At present, 1,183 athletes, including 562 female students, are availing sports scholarships. Chandigarh University will continue to encourage sporting talent in the future as well."
Chandigarh University
Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC.
