Mirabai Chanu breaks 28-year Indian weightlifting drought with Asian Games silver
Mirabai Chanu won silver in the women's 49kg weightlifting at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, ending a 28-year medal gap for India.
At the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Mirabai Chanu secured the silver medal in the women's 49kg weightlifting category with a combined lift of 198kg, trailing North Korea's Ri Song Gum. This achievement marks her inaugural Asian Games podium after a ninth-place finish in Incheon 2014, an injury-forced absence in Jakarta 2018, and a near-miss fourth place in Hangzhou 2023. The result also ends a 28-year drought for India in Asian Games weightlifting, the previous medal being Karnam Malleswari's silver in Bangkok 1998.
Chanu's season also featured a third straight Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow, where she lifted 190kg. Her career now includes an Olympic silver, a World Championships title, multiple Commonwealth golds, and finally an Asian Games medal, completing a rare collection of major international honors.
Why it matters
The win restores India's presence on the Asian Games weightlifting podium after nearly three decades.
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