Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won a silver medal at the 2026 Asian Games, achieving a long-held goal and adding an Asian Games podium finish to her decorated international career.
Chanu said the medal carried added significance because her previous Asian Games campaign had been disrupted by injury. She described the latest achievement as a long-awaited milestone after having already won an Olympic medal, a World Championship medal and three Commonwealth Games gold medals.
“I am overjoyed. I had been waiting for this day for years,” Chanu said.
“This was the ultimate dream for us; it was incredibly important to me, and now I’ve finally secured it. I’ve added the Asian Games medal to my collection, and having achieved something for India and for weightlifting, I am absolutely delighted,” she added.
Chanu said her preparation for the Games largely followed the methods she had used previously, with the team concentrating on maintaining a familiar training routine while paying closer attention to the combinations of weights that could emerge during competition.
“We trained very well. These Asian Games were crucial for me because I had suffered an injury during the previous ones. So, this was my best opportunity to prove myself,” she said.
The team also worked out a detailed competition strategy, including the opening weights and the sequence of subsequent attempts.
“The preparation routine didn’t change much; we stuck to the same methods we had been using before. However, we were determined not to let this opportunity slip away,” Chanu said.
“We went onto the stage with a clear strategy regarding the weights, deciding exactly what to attempt and where to start. We simply focused more on the specific weight combinations we might face and planned accordingly,” she added.
The silver medal marked another major international achievement for Chanu and fulfilled her long-standing objective of winning an Asian Games medal.
