Full Breakdown
Mirabai Chanu’s Silver Ends India’s 28-Year Asian Games Weightlifting Drought
By Drooid · · How we work
The Historic Lift
On September 23, 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, Mirabai Chanu Saikhom of India secured the silver medal in the women’s 49 kg weight-lifting final. She recorded a 87 kg snatch and a 111 kg clean-and-jerk for a total of 198 kg, finishing behind North Korea’s Ri Song-gum (215 kg) and ahead of Indonesia’s Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana (191 kg). Chanu’s performance ended a 28-year gap since Karnam Malleswari’s silver at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games.
Background & Context
India’s Asian Games weight-lifting podium has been barren since Malleswari’s 1998 medal. The Indian Weightlifting Federation faced a suspension after the 2006 Games for doping violations, and India returned in 2010 and 2014 without medals. In 2018 and 2022, Chanu placed fourth after an injury curtailed her final clean-and-jerk.
Mirabai Chanu, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist, had already won a world title (2017) and three Commonwealth Games golds, but the Asian Games medal remained the sole missing accolade.
Data & Statistics
- Snatch: 87 kg (83 kg, 85 kg, 87 kg)
- Clean-and-jerk: 111 kg (best of three attempts)
- Total: reported as 198 kg by *The Hindu*, *Al Jazeera*, *India Times* and *Moneycontrol*; *NDTV* listed 199 kg (88 kg + 111 kg).
- Gold winner: Ri Song-gum – 215 kg total (94 kg snatch, 121 kg clean-and-jerk)
- Bronze: Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana – 191 kg total (88 kg snatch, 103 kg clean-and-jerk)
- Chanu’s age: 32 years.
Why It Matters
Chanu’s silver completes a “full set” of major multi-sport medals: Olympic, World Championship, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. Her success revives public interest in Indian weight-lifting and offers a role model for emerging lifters.
Official Statements & Responses
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the silver “special” and praised Chanu’s “determination and consistency.”
Coach Vijay Sharma said the team focused on staying injury-free and calibrated attempts to secure at least a silver, planning for a 2–5 kg increase if needed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It's the first one I am having since the Commonwealth Games,” — Mirabai Chanu
- “Sir was confident, and his confidence was my strength. So, it was my aim to bring home an Asian Games medal this time,” — Mirabai Chanu
- “We have been studying our competitors. Our main focus was to remain injury-free. We knew that if we could do that, we could lift a good weight and win a medal here. We prepared in such a way that if we had to lift 2-5kg more for silver, we could have done that. That's why, in the snatch, we played it safe,” — Vijay Sharma
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on Chanu’s exact total weight lifted. *The Hindu*, *Al Jazeera* and *India Times* report 198 kg; *NDTV* records 199 kg. No definitive correction has been issued.
