Archive · 28 Sep 2026
Mirabai Chanu Ends Asian Games Medal Drought With Japan Silver
Mirabai Chanu won a silver medal in weightlifting at the Asian Games.
She competed in the women’s 49kg class.
Her two lifts added up to 198kg.
Ri Song-gum of North Korea lifted more and won gold.
Chanu had waited 12 years for an Asian Games medal.
She missed one Games because of injury and narrowly missed the podium at another.
She said Japan has been lucky for her because she also won Olympic silver there.
Chanu praised her coach, Vijay Sharma, for supporting her career.
She also said young athletes need good coaches who teach the basics and make sport enjoyable.
Mirabai Chanu won silver in the women’s 49kg weightlifting event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
She lifted 198kg overall, combining an 87kg snatch with a 111kg clean and jerk.
North Korea’s Ri Song-gum won gold, finishing 17kg ahead of Chanu.
The medal ended Chanu’s 12-year wait after a ninth-place debut in 2014, an injury-related absence in 2018 and fourth place in 2023.
Chanu credited national coach Vijay Sharma and called for stronger grassroots coaching rather than relying only on foreign coaches.
- Who
- Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and North Korean gold medalist Ri Song-gum.
- What
- Chanu won silver in the women’s 49kg weightlifting event with a 198kg total.
- When
- At the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games; the articles do not provide a specific date.
- Where
- Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
- Why
- The silver ended Chanu’s long wait for an Asian Games medal after earlier setbacks, including injury and near-misses.
Support for Indian Coaching
Case for Foreign Coaches
Best coaching model for weightlifting
Support for Indian Coaching
Mirabai Chanu said her career flourished under national coach Vijay Sharma and questioned whether India should trust its own coaches more.
Case for Foreign Coaches
The article notes that India has employed foreign coaches in sports such as boxing and wrestling to seek better performance, although Chanu said the choice is personal.
Grassroots development
Support for Indian Coaching
Chanu argued that home-grown coaches with strong knowledge are needed to teach children the basics and build long-term success.
Case for Foreign Coaches
The articles do not present a specific opposing grassroots policy, but they describe foreign coaching as an option used in other power sports.
- Medal
- Silver
- Event
- Women’s 49kg weightlifting
- Total lift
- 198kg
- Snatch
- 87kg
- Clean and jerk
- 111kg
- Gold medalist
- Ri Song-gum of North Korea
- Wait ended
- A 12-year Asian Games medal drought