My life is complete now: Mirabai Chan’s medal dream comes true after the Asian Games

Mirabai Chanu said winning a medal at the Asian Games was a “dream come true” after she finally secured a place on the podium at the Nagoya Continental Expo on Wednesday. The Indian weightlifter won silver in the women’s 49kg category with a total of 198kg, ending India’s 28-year wait for a weightlifting medal from the Asian Games.

“Winning a medal in the Asian Games is a dream come true. I have been striving for this medal for the last 12 years, since the 2014 Asian Games. My life is complete now with this medal. And I feel very light. It is a dream Asian Games,” Chanu said after the competition.

The silverware capped a major gap in Chan’s decorated career. She won Olympic and World Championship medals and three consecutive Commonwealth Games golds, but an Asian Games medal remained elusive.

Her journey to the continental event was marked by setbacks. Chanu finished ninth in Incheon in 2014, missed the 2018 edition in Jakarta with a back injury and finished fourth in Hangzhou in 2023 after her campaign was marred by a clean-line injury.

CHANU MOVES HIS MEDAL

Chanu started strong in the clean and jerk, completing all three attempts to finish with 87kg. Defending champion and world champion Ri Song Gum of North Korea opened the gap with a lift of 94kg.

The Indian then needed a strong clean and jerk to stay in contention for a medal. She opened at 107 kg and successfully lifted 111 kg on her second attempt, bringing her total to 198 kg.

This was enough for silver after Indonesia’s Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana failed to complete her 107kg clean attempt. Chanu secured a place on the podium while Ri was comfortably ahead in the gold medal race.

Ri lifted 116kg with a clean and jerk before successfully attempting 121kg. Her total of 215kg earned her her third straight Asian Games gold.

THE LONG WAIT IS FINALLY OVER

Chan’s silver was particularly significant given her narrow miss in Hangzhou. She finished fourth at 191kg after her challenge was cut short by an injury on the clean and jerk.

The medal also made Chana the first Indian weightlifter to win a medal at the Asian Games since Karnam Malleswari won silver in Bangkok in 1998.

Chanu has now added the missing piece to her medal collection. After winning medals at the Olympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games, she finally stood on the Asian Games podium.

Her total of 198kg was well short of Ri’s record 215kg, but it was enough to end India’s long wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal and give Chan the moment she had been chasing since 2014.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

23 Sep 2026 16:50 IST