Four-woman squad seeks to break 28-year medal drought.
India’s weightlifting team enters the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya with renewed determination to end a decades-long wait for success. The spotlight rests firmly on Mirabai Chanu, Olympic silver medallist and three-time Commonwealth Games champion, who heads a four-member women’s squad aiming to secure India’s first medal in the sport since 1998.
Weightlifting has historically been a difficult arena for India at the Asian Games. Since its introduction in 1951, the country has won 14 medals- five silver and nine bronze but never a gold. The last podium finish came 28 years ago when Karnam Malleswari clinched silver in Bangkok. Since then, Asian powerhouses such as China, North Korea, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan have dominated the sport, leaving India searching for a breakthrough.
This year’s campaign offers fresh hope. Chanu, competing in the 49kg category, is determined to add the missing Asian Games medal to her illustrious career. She finished ninth in 2014, missed the 2018 edition due to injury, and narrowly missed the podium in Hangzhou 2023, finishing fourth while battling a thigh injury. A medal in Aichi-Nagoya would complete her collection across the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games.
Supporting her are three promising lifters. Gyaneshwari Yadav, a Commonwealth Games silver medallist, will compete in the 53kg category. Her recent form makes her a contender, especially as this weight class could gain greater significance with future Olympic adjustments. Harjinder Kaur, another Commonwealth silver medallist, enters the 69kg category with confidence and experience. In comparison, Seram Nirupama Devi takes on the challenge in the 61kg division, eager to make her mark.
The competition format is straightforward: each athlete receives three attempts in the snatch and three in the clean and jerk, with the best lifts combined for the final total. Failure to register a valid lift in either discipline results in elimination.
India’s campaign begins on September 23, when Chanu and Yadav take the stage. Their performances could set the tone for the squad as they strive to end the medal drought. Rishikanta Singh Chanambam’s withdrawal due to a knee injury leaves India with an all-women contingent.
For Chanu, the stakes are particularly high. Success in Aichi-Nagoya would not only end India’s long wait but also cement her legacy as the nation’s most complete weightlifter.
