India shines again at Asian Games; Mirabai Chanu wins silver in weightlifting

NEW DELHI: India added another medal to its Asian Games tally as star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won silver in the women’s 49kg category at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Competing at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Centre, Chanu lifted a total of 198kg to finish second. North Korea’s Ri SongG-gum won the gold with a total lift of 215kg, while Indonesia’s Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana took the bronze.

The medal is Chanu’s first at the Asian Games. She had narrowly missed out on a medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, finishing fourth after an injury prevented her from completing her final clean and jerk attempt.

Chanu had won silver in the women’s 49kg category at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The Asian Games silver now adds another major medal to her decorated international career.

On April 17, 2021, Chanu set a world record in the clean and jerk in the 49kg category by lifting 119kg at the Asian Weightlifting Championships. She held the record until September 5, 2023. Chanu was awarded the Padma Shri and the Khel Ratna Award in 2018.