मीराबाई चानूने आशियाई क्रीडा स्पर्धेत जिंकले पहिले पदक; ४९ किलो...

By GT24x7 Reporter · 23 September 2026 · GlobalToday24x7

Star Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu secured her maiden Asian Games medal on Wednesday, lifting a cumulative 198 kg to claim the silver medal in the women's 49kg division at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Center during the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The milestone performance ended a 28-year wait for an Indian medal in weightlifting at the Asian Games, filling the solitary void in the Olympian’s competitive portfolio.

North Korea's reigning champion Ri Song Gum secured the gold medal through a commanding series of lifts totaling 215 kg, establishing world records in both the clean and jerk and total aggregates. Indonesia’s Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana secured the bronze medal with an overall tally of 191 kg, rounding out the podium in a closely watched continental contest.

Breakdown of the Podium Performance

Chanu entered the competition with steady execution across the opening phase. In the snatch, the 30-year-old registered clean attempts across all three trips to the platform, culminating in a successful 87 kg lift on her final attempt. The effort kept her in prime contention as the event transitioned to the clean and jerk.

In the clean and jerk discipline, Chanu commenced with a 107 kg lift before advancing to 111 kg on her second attempt. With Wijayana unable to register a 107 kg effort in her later attempts, Chanu’s aggregate of 198 kg secured second place. Meanwhile, Ri dominated the platform by recording a 94 kg snatch and subsequently clearing 121 kg in the clean and jerk to post a winning 215 kg aggregate.

Overcoming Heartbreak and Continental Setbacks

The victory concludes a twelve-year pursuit for Chanu on the Asian Games stage. Having finished ninth in her continental debut at Incheon in 2014, she was forced to withdraw from the 2018 Jakarta Games because of a lower back injury. At the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, Chanu finished in fourth place after sustaining a severe hip and thigh injury during an attempt at 117 kg in the clean and jerk, which required extended medical rehabilitation.

Her persistence following injury rehabilitation marked a return to form ahead of the continental meet. The silver in Nagoya resolves the elusive chapter in an otherwise decorated career, which includes an Olympic silver medal won at the Tokyo 2020 Games, gold at the 2017 World Championships, two World Championship silvers, and three Commonwealth Games gold medals.

Historical Context in Indian Weightlifting

Chanu’s podium standing represents India’s first weightlifting medal at the Asian Games since 1998, when Karnam Malleswari claimed silver in Bangkok. Over the decades, India’s presence on the continental weightlifting podium had remained sparse despite strong showings at the Commonwealth and South Asian levels.

Conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Padma Shri in 2018, Chanu continues to anchor India’s international weightlifting program. Indian weightlifting federations and sporting authorities acknowledged the achievement as a benchmark of consistency, underscoring the technical discipline and endurance that positioned her back onto the international podium.