Mirabai Chanu Celebrates Silver Medal Win at Asian Games 2026

Mirabai Chanu has returned to New Delhi with a silver medal from the Asian Games 2026, a long-awaited achievement in her illustrious weightlifting career. After securing her place in the women's 49kg category, Chanu expressed her joy and the significance of this medal, adding to her impressive collection that includes Olympic and Commonwealth medals. Reflecting on her journey, she emphasized the importance of this event following her previous injury. With this victory, Chanu joins an elite group of Indian weightlifters, further solidifying her status in the sport. Discover more about her inspiring journey and strategic approach to success.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 29, 2026, 09:26 IST

Chanu's Joyful Return

On Tuesday, Mirabai Chanu expressed her happiness upon returning to New Delhi with a silver medal from the Asian Games 2026, highlighting that she had anticipated this achievement for many years.

A New Addition to Her Medal Collection

Chanu earned the silver in the women's 49kg weightlifting category at the Asian Games held in Japan, further enhancing her impressive career that already boasts an Olympic medal, a World Championship medal, and three gold medals from the Commonwealth Games.

"I am thrilled. This day has been a long time coming. I already had an Olympic medal and a World Championship medal, along with three Commonwealth Games golds. However, this was the ultimate dream for me; it held immense significance, and now I’ve finally achieved it. Adding the Asian Games medal to my collection feels incredible, and I am overjoyed to have accomplished something for India and for weightlifting," Chanu stated upon her arrival in New Delhi on Tuesday morning.

Performance Highlights

The 32-year-old athlete lifted a total of 198kg, successfully completing 87kg in the snatch and 111kg in the clean and jerk. North Korea's Ri Song Gum secured the gold with a lift of 215kg, while Wijayana took home the bronze.

Road to Redemption

Reflecting on her journey, Chanu noted the significance of the Asian Games following her injury during the last edition. "We trained diligently. These Asian Games were vital for me because I had faced an injury in the previous ones. This was my best chance to showcase my abilities. Our preparation routine remained consistent; we adhered to the same methods we had been using," she explained.

This medal marked the end of a long wait for Chanu at the Asian Games. She narrowly missed the podium at Hangzhou 2023 after an injury led her to withdraw from her final clean and jerk attempt, finishing fourth. The 32-year-old entered the Aichi-Nagoya Games after clinching gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, adding to her accolades as a three-time Commonwealth Games champion and Olympic silver medalist from Tokyo 2020.

Joining an Elite Club

With her first Asian Games medal, Chanu became the second Indian weightlifter, following Karnam Malleshwari, to win medals across the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, Asian Championships, and Commonwealth Championships.

Hailing from Nongpok Kakching in Manipur, Chanu began her formal weightlifting training in 2008 and has since emerged as one of India's top weightlifters.

Strategic Approach

Chanu emphasized that the team was focused on maximizing their opportunity and had a clear strategy regarding the weights she would attempt during the competition. "We were determined not to let this chance pass us by. We approached the stage with a well-defined strategy concerning the weights, deciding precisely what to attempt and where to begin... We concentrated on the specific weight combinations we might encounter and planned accordingly..." she added.