Mirabai Chanu Celebrates Silver Medal Win at Asian Games 2026

Mirabai Chanu's Triumph at the Asian Games

By Vivek Prabhakar Singh

New Delhi [India], September 29 (Media House): Mirabai Chanu expressed her happiness upon returning to New Delhi with a silver medal from the Asian Games 2026, highlighting that she had long awaited this moment.

Chanu achieved the silver in the women's 49kg weightlifting category during the Asian Games held in Japan, adding this continental accolade to her impressive collection, which already includes 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 for me. I already had an Olympic medal and a World Championship medal, along with three Commonwealth Games golds. But this was the ultimate dream; it held immense significance for me, and now I’ve finally achieved it. Adding the Asian Games medal to my collection feels incredible, and I am truly delighted to have accomplished something for India and for weightlifting," Chanu stated upon her arrival in New Delhi on Tuesday morning.

The 32-year-old 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.

Reflecting on her training, Chanu noted the significance of the Asian Games, especially after facing an injury in the previous edition.

"Our training was thorough. These Asian Games were vital for me, particularly after my injury in the last edition. This was my best chance to showcase my abilities. Our preparation routine remained consistent; we adhered to the same methods we had been using previously," she explained.

This medal marked the end of a long wait for Chanu at the Asian Games, as she had narrowly missed out on a podium finish at Hangzhou 2023 due to an injury that prevented her from completing her final clean and jerk attempt, resulting in a fourth-place finish.

Entering the Aichi-Nagoya Games, Chanu had recently won gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. She is also a three-time Commonwealth Games champion and earned an Olympic silver at Tokyo 2020.

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 journey in 2008 and has since established herself as one of India's top weightlifters. She emphasized that the team was focused on maximizing their opportunity and had a clear plan regarding the weights she would attempt during the competition.

"We were resolute in not letting this chance slip away. We approached the competition with a well-defined strategy concerning the weights, determining exactly what to attempt and where to start... We concentrated on the specific weight combinations we might encounter and planned accordingly..." she added.