Delhi Minister Ashish Sood Celebrates Mirabai Chanu's Silver Medal at Asian Games 2026
Celebrating a Champion
On Wednesday, Delhi Minister Ashish Sood met with renowned Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu to commend her for securing a silver medal in the women's 49kg category at the Asian Games 2026. Sood shared a video of their meeting on X, highlighting Chanu's remarkable achievement at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where she lifted a total of 198kg, marking her first medal at this prestigious event.
Chanu's Impressive Performance
The 32-year-old athlete successfully completed all three of her snatch attempts, lifting 83kg, 85kg, and 87kg. She then registered lifts of 107kg and 111kg in her initial clean and jerk attempts, culminating in a total of 198kg. North Korea's Ri Song Gum clinched the gold medal with a total lift of 215kg, while Wijayana secured the bronze.
A Complete Medal Collection
Chanu's silver medal adds to her impressive collection from major international multi-sport events. Previously, she earned an Olympic silver at Tokyo 2020, three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, and medals from the World Championships, Asian Championships, and Commonwealth Championships. The Asian Games medal was the last piece she needed after finishing fourth at the Hangzhou edition in 2023 due to an injury that prevented her from completing her final clean and jerk attempt.
With this achievement, Chanu joins Karnam Malleshwari as only the second Indian weightlifter to earn medals across the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, Asian Championships, and Commonwealth Championships.
From Humble Beginnings to National Fame
Chanu's inspiring journey began in Nongpok Kakching, Manipur, where she was raised as the youngest of six siblings in a humble household. Her father, Saikhom Kriti Meitei, was employed in the Public Works Department, while her mother, Saikhom Tombi, operated a small shop.
About Ashish Sood
Ashish Sood has been serving as the Minister for Home, Power, Urban Development, Education, Higher Education, and Training & Technical Education in Delhi since February 20, 2025, under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.