India's Weightlifting Hopes Rise as Young Athletes Shine at Commonwealth Games

India's weightlifting coach, Vijay Sharma, is optimistic about the country's young lifters as they excel at the Commonwealth Games. With recent successes, including medals from Gyaneshwari Yadav and Bindyarani Devi, there is renewed hope to end a 28-year medal drought at the Asian Games. The upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in 2026 presents a crucial opportunity for India to reclaim its standing in the sport. Bindyarani's impressive performance, following her recovery from injury, highlights the potential of India's weightlifting future. Read on to discover more about their journey and aspirations.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 28, 2026, 03:59 IST

A Promising Future for Indian Weightlifting

Glasgow [Scotland], July 28: Vijay Sharma, the chief national weightlifting coach of India, is optimistic about the progress of the nation’s young lifters. He believes that India is on the verge of breaking its 28-year medal drought at the Asian Games, especially following a strong performance at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

After Gyaneshwari Yadav and Bindyarani Devi contributed two more medals to India's tally on Day 5 in Glasgow, Sharma remarked, "We need to enhance our weightlifting efforts significantly. Our young athletes' performances are encouraging. Gyaneshwari Yadav improved her total by six kilograms today. We are hopeful that we will finally secure a medal at the Asian Games after more than 25 years."

India has had a remarkable start in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games, with five out of six medals coming from this sport. The medalists include Mirabai Chanu (gold), Rishikanta Singh (silver), Muthupandi Raja (silver), Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver), and Bindyarani Devi (bronze), along with Jhandu Kumar, who earned bronze in para powerlifting.

The last time India secured a weightlifting medal at the Asian Games was in 1998 in Bangkok, when the iconic Karnam Malleswari won silver. Since then, the country has faced a series of medal-less campaigns in the 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 editions.

The upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, set for September-October 2026, will be another chance for India to end this long-standing drought, with several top lifters, including Mirabai Chanu, focusing on this continental competition.

Bindyarani Devi recently added to India's medal count by winning bronze in the women's 58kg category, marking her second consecutive Commonwealth Games medal after securing silver in Birmingham 2022.

The 27-year-old from Manipur showcased her skills, finishing behind Nigeria's Rafiatu Folashade Lawal, who took gold with a Commonwealth Games record total of 229kg, and Canada's Ann Sophie Taschereau, who earned silver with 215kg.

Bindyarani started strong in the snatch, with her coaching team adjusting her first attempt from 85kg to 83kg. She successfully lifted 83kg, 85kg, and 87kg, tying with England's Eliza Pratt but winning on countback.

Her clean and jerk segment began with a setback as her initial attempt of 110kg was deemed a no-lift due to an elbow buckle during the jerk. However, she bounced back by lifting 112kg on her second attempt, bringing her overall total to 199kg. Although she couldn't lift 116kg in her final attempt, her total was sufficient to secure the bronze medal.

This podium finish marks another significant achievement in Bindyarani's career, especially after overcoming a knee injury in 2023 and transitioning between the 55kg and 58kg weight classes before returning to the Commonwealth Games podium.