Hindustan Times ·
Sport
India’s weightlifting high meets its Asian Games low: Mirabai Chanu and Co. chase a medal after 28 years
The last Indian to win a weightlifting medal at the Asiad was Karnam Malleswari, silver at the 1998 Bangkok Games.
India's weightlifters returned from the Commonwealth Games 2026 with glory, securing eight medals, including a historic gold for Mirabai Chanu. But unlike at the CWG, weightlifting has not quite been India's strongest suit at the Asian Games. The nation has won 14 medals in all — five silver and nine bronze — with the elusive gold still missing from the cabinet. The four-member contingent this time will look to add to their CWG momentum with Asian Games glory, perhaps even clinching that first gold, when the weightlifting competition runs from September 22–28 at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium.
Who forms the Indian weightlifting team?
Olympic medallist and former world champion Mirabai Chanu was among the five originally picked to represent India at the Asiad. Chanu, who won gold for the third straight edition at the CWG this year, will compete in the 49kg category.
Commonwealth Games 2026 silver medallists Gyaneshwari Yadav and Harjinder Kaur will compete in the women's 53kg and 69kg categories respectively, while Seram Nirupama Devi completes the women's squad in the 61kg division.
Rishikanta Singh Chanambam, who won silver at the Commonwealth Games last month in the 60kg category, was the sole male weightlifter in the original squad. He has since withdrawn with a recurring knee injury. Having competed through the pain to finish second in Glasgow, Rishikanta was advised against risking further damage, leaving four women to carry India's medal hopes in Japan.
India's modest record at the Asian Games
India's record in Asian Games weightlifting has never matched its record elsewhere. Since the sport's debut at the inaugural 1951 Games — where India picked up a silver and a bronze — the country has won just 14 medals across seven decades: five silver and nine bronze. None of those has come in this century.
The last Indian to win a weightlifting medal at the Asiad was Karnam Malleswari, silver at the 1998 Bangkok Games. It was, in fact, her second Asiad silver, after Hiroshima in 1994. India have struggled for a podium finish in the sport since, a drought that leaves weightlifting well behind India's traditional strongholds like athletics, wrestling and shooting at the continental level — in a discipline where China, North Korea, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have historically dominated the podiums.
Even for Chanu, an Asiad medal is the one missing piece from her résumé. She finished ninth in 2014, missed the 2018 Jakarta Games through a back injury, and endured a painful near-miss in Hangzhou in 2023 — collapsing mid-lift on a 117kg clean and jerk attempt while carrying a thigh injury, and having to be carried off the platform, finishing fourth, 8kg short of bronze.
Against that backdrop, the CWG success does offer some optimism. Chanu remains India's strongest hope to end the long-standing drought, despite her Asiad history. She even skipped a trip home to Manipur after her exploits in Glasgow, staying back in New Delhi to train. "It's so close," she told AFP last week of her chances of finally standing on an Asian Games podium at her third attempt. "It is a strong field at weightlifting in the Asian Games but my preparation is good and I feel confident," she added.
Gyaneshwari (53kg) and Harjinder Kaur (69kg) also offer hope. The former heads to Japan with the best current form of the group, having medalled at both the CWG and the Asian Championships this year, while the latter finished second at the CWG and third at the Asian Championships in the last two months.
The outlier is likely to be Nirupama Devi (61kg), who failed to register a result at the CWG.
Compared to the overall historical baseline, this contingent is perhaps better placed than most before it to end a 28-year wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal, with Chanu emerging as India's strongest option. However, the ceiling will likely remain bronze or silver.
- Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More
