Mirabai Chanu wins elusive Asian Games silver in women’s 49kg

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Sep 23, 2026: Indian weightlifting star Mirabai Chanu finally added an Asian Games medal to her collection, winning silver in the women’s 49kg category at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Wednesday, September 23.

The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist lifted a combined 198kg, with 87kg in the snatch and 111kg in the clean and jerk, securing India’s first Asian Games weightlifting medal since Karnam Malleswari’s bronze in 1998.

North Korea’s two-time world champion Ri Song Gum lived up to expectations, winning gold with a record-breaking total of 215kg (94kg in snatch and 121kg in clean and jerk) to complete a hat-trick of Asian Games titles.

Chanu began the snatch with 83kg before successfully lifting 85kg and 87kg in her next two attempts, finishing the first half of the competition in third place.

She then produced a best lift of 111kg in the clean and jerk to secure the long-awaited Asian Games medal after narrowly missing out in her previous appearances.

The silver adds to Chanu’s Olympic silver, three World Championship medals, including a gold, multiple Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Championships titles, and an Asian Championships bronze.