New Delhi [India], September 29 (ANI): India’s ace weightlifter Mirabai Chanu fulfilled a long-awaited dream at the 2026 Asian Games by securing her maiden Asian Games podium finish, claiming silver in the women’s 49kg weightlifting event at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Centre.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist finished with a total lift of 198kg—87kg in the snatch and 111kg in the clean and jerk. Her historic performance ended a 28-year medal drought for Indian weightlifting at the Asian Games, joining Karnam Malleshwari as only the second Indian weightlifter to win medals across the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, Asian Championships, and Commonwealth Championships.
Reflecting on her landmark victory, Chanu expressed her emotions to ANI on Tuesday, “I am extremely happy. I have been waiting for this moment for many years, and finally, my dream has been fulfilled. An Asian Games medal was the one thing missing from my tally, and I’m proud to have finally achieved it.”
Chanu delivered a clinical performance in the snatch section, sequentially lifting 83kg, 85kg, and 87kg with relative ease. Heading into the clean and jerk, she trailed only North Korea’s Ri Song-gum and Indonesia’s Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana.
She opened the clean and jerk phase with a successful 107kg lift before improving to 111kg on her second attempt. With the silver medal effectively locked in, she strategically chose not to take her third attempt.
Addressing her tactical choices during the event, Chanu highlighted her satisfaction with the silver and acknowledged the fierce competition:
“I am satisfied with the result. We knew it would be very difficult to fight for the gold medal because we were aware of how strong the North Korean athlete is. I could not match her, but we knew we had a good chance of fighting for the silver and bronze medals. I had almost secured the silver with my second lift, so I didn’t attempt the third. In the end, I just needed to secure a medal, and I was able to win the silver. Before the tournament, I had thought about lifting more than 200 kg, but once the competition started, the focus was on securing a medal.”
Detailing her strategy alongside her coach, Vijay Sharma, Chanu explained why they favoured a cautious build-up in the snatch over aggressive attempts.
“We had thought that if we lifted around 88 or 89 kg in snatch, we would have a strong chance of fighting for the silver medal. But on the day of the competition, everything depends on what is on the board—the starting weights, what the other competitors are attempting, and how the competition is unfolding. Both my coach and I felt that 88 or 89 kg would be enough to secure silver. By lifting 87 kg, we had almost secured the medal. That’s why, as a safety measure, sir suggested that we start with 83 kg and then increase the weight gradually, two kilos at a time, to make sure we got a safe lift.”
Following changes to the Olympic weight categories, Chanu confirmed plans to transition from the 49kg class up to the 53kg category. She expressed optimism that the weight increase would aid in managing her physical injuries while taking on new competitive challenges:
“Right now, I’m competing in the 49 kg category, but I started weightlifting in the 48 kg and 49 kg categories. Since the Olympic weight categories have now changed, the 49 kg category will remain for the other major championships, while the Olympic category will start from 53 kg. I will move up to 53 kg, and I think the increase in weight could actually be a good thing for me. Moving up may also give me some relief from my injury. There will be a lot of strong competitors in the 53 kg category—those who have already competed in that weight class, as well as athletes moving up from 49 kg for the Olympics. So, yes, it will be tough, but I will give it my best. With the increase in weight, I believe there should also be a difference in strength and performance.”
An Olympic, World and Asian Championships medallist and Commonwealth Games champion, the Asian Games was the only major international event where Mirabai Chanu had yet to stand on the podium before Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
With her maiden Asian Games medal, Chanu became the second Indian weightlifter after Karnam Malleshwari to win medals at the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, Asian Championships and Commonwealth Championships.
Mirabai’s coach, Vijay Sharma, praised her discipline and highlighted the importance of this victory for the sports ecosystem back home.
“Mirabai has worked extremely hard for this medal. When she won it, the entire Indian weightlifting community was overjoyed because we had not won a medal in weightlifting at the Asian Games for 28 years. Mirabai has finally brought that medal back for us, and the weightlifting federation, along with the entire community, is extremely happy. I hope this achievement inspires the next generation of Indian weightlifters. Seeing Mirabai win an Asian Games medal will motivate more young athletes to take up the sport and give them the belief and desire to compete for medals at the highest level,” Sharma told ANI. (ANI)
Related reading
