Mirabai Chanu leads India's weightlifters in bid to end 28-year medal drought

India's weightlifters arrive at the 2026 Asian Games in good spirits. A month ago in Glasgow, the team returned from the Commonwealth Games with eight medals, including Mirabai Chanu's third straight gold. But the Asian Games have never been kind to Indian weightlifting, and this year's four-woman squad knows it has as much history working against it as any rival.

The competition runs from September 22 to 28 at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Aichi-Nagoya. The numbers explain why expectations are tempered. India have collected 14 weightlifting medals at the Asian Games since the sport was introduced in 1951, five silver and nine bronze, but not one gold. Nobody has stood on an Asiad weightlifting podium for India since Karnam Malleswari won silver in Bangkok in 1998. That is 28 years and counting.

This time, however, India have a familiar face leading the challenge. Mirabai Chanu will compete in the women's 49kg category, while Commonwealth Games silver medallists Gyaneshwari Yadav and Harjinder Kaur will compete in the 53kg and 69kg categories respectively. Seram Nirupama Devi completes the women's squad in the 61kg category.

For Chanu, the Asian Games offer an opportunity to fill the one major gap in an otherwise decorated multi-sport career. She has won Olympic and Commonwealth Games medals, including gold at three successive Commonwealth Games, but an Asian Games medal has remained out of reach.

There is no bigger name in this squad, and there hasn't been for years. Chanu arrives after winning her third successive Commonwealth Games gold, with an Olympic silver and a world title already on her resume.

What she does not have is an Asian Games medal, and that has remained the one missing piece of her career.Indian weightlifting star aims for elusive Asian Games medalIndian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu picked up the sport -- and a barbell -- at the age of 13. Now a highly-decorated athlete, the 32-year-old has her sights set on a medal at the Asian Games. pic.twitter.com/o43bOeZ7rY— AFP News Agency (@AFP) September 19, 2026

She finished ninth at the 2014 Asian Games before missing the 2018 edition because of a back injury. At the 2023 Hangzhou Games, Chanu came agonisingly close to the podium. Carrying a thigh injury, she collapsed during her clean and jerk attempt at 117kg and eventually finished fourth, 8kg short of the bronze medal.

A medal in Aichi-Nagoya would finally give Chanu a medal from all three major multi-sport events: the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

Yadav arrives in Aichi-Nagoya as a Commonwealth Games silver medallist and will compete in the women's 53kg category.

She will have to contend with a strong Asian field, but her performance in Glasgow gives her reason to approach the competition with confidence.

The 53kg category could also become increasingly important for Yadav in the coming years. Chanu, who currently competes in the 48kg-49kg range, is expected to move up to 53kg with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in mind, where it will be the lightest women's weight category.

For now, though, Yadav will have her own opportunity to make an impact on the Asian Games stage.

Another Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Harjinder Kaur, will compete in the women's 69kg category.

Her silver in Glasgow means she arrives with recent international form and experience of competing under the pressure of a major multi-sport event.

The challenge will be greater in Asia, but Kaur will be looking to build on her Commonwealth Games performance and put herself in medal contention.

Seram Nirupama Devi completes India's four-member women's contingent and will compete in the 61kg category.

The Asian field will provide a demanding test, but Devi will be aiming to make the most of her opportunity and add to India's weightlifting medal tally.FORMAT OF COMPETITION

Each lifter will get three attempts in the snatch and three in the clean and jerk. The best valid attempt in each discipline will count towards the lifter's total.

The athlete with the highest combined total will win the gold medal. A lifter who fails to register a valid lift in all three attempts in either the snatch or clean and jerk will not have a total and will be eliminated from the competition.

The competition is entirely individual, with no team medal awarded. The 2026 Asian Games will use the new IWF weight categories introduced on August 1, 2026. The Games will feature five men's and five women's categories, with each National Olympic Committee allowed one athlete in each category.

India's four athletes will compete in the women's 49kg, 53kg, 61kg and 69kg categories.WHAT ARE INDIA'S MEDAL CHANCES?

Glasgow gave India's weightlifters plenty of confidence. Aichi-Nagoya will provide a very different test.

Asian weightlifting has traditionally been dominated by countries such as China, North Korea, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. India's strong Commonwealth Games campaign will count for little once the competition begins, with the lifters facing a deeper field and a different level of competition.

Three of India's four lifters arrive as Commonwealth Games medallists, while Chanu brings years of experience at the highest level.

India's long wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal makes the challenge even more significant. The country has not stood on the podium in the sport since Karnam Malleswari's silver in 1998, while a gold medal has never been won.

For Chanu in particular, the Asian Games represent an opportunity to finally add the one major multi-sport medal missing from her collection.THE WITHDRAWAL THAT HURT

India's original squad included a men's entry, but Rishikanta Singh Chanambam has since withdrawn from the Asian Games.

The Manipuri lifter won silver in the 60kg category at the Commonwealth Games last month despite carrying a knee injury that he had suffered about a week before the competition.

Rishikanta competed through the pain in Glasgow and finished with a silver medal. However, he was subsequently advised against risking further damage to the knee.

His withdrawal leaves India with an all-women's weightlifting contingent in Aichi-Nagoya.FULL INDIAN SQUAD

Rishikanta Singh Chanambam, who was originally selected in the men's 60kg category, withdrew from the Asian Games because of a knee injury.INDIA'S WEIGHTLIFTING SCHEDULE (IST)

Two of India's four lifters will be in action on the opening day, with Mirabai Chanu and Gyaneshwari Yadav taking the platform on September 23. Their performances could set the tone for India's campaign as the team looks to end a 28-year wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal.

The wait for gold has been even longer. India are yet to win an Asian Games title in the sport, but after a medal-filled Commonwealth Games campaign, this four-member women's team arrives in Aichi-Nagoya with renewed belief. Whether that is enough to finally break the drought will be decided on the platform.- EndsPublished By: Saurabh KumarPublished On: Sep 22, 2026 20:00 IST