Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu on Wednesday finally secured the one major multi-sport medal missing from her glittering collection after clinching silver in the women’s 49kg weightlifting competition at the 2026 Asian Games.

Chanu’s podium finish also ended India’s 28-year wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal. Before her historic achievement, India’s only previous podium finish in the discipline at the continental event came when Karnam Malleswari won silver in Bangkok in 1998.

For Chanu, the medal marked the culmination of a long wait. She finished ninth at the 2014 Asian Games and fourth at Hangzhou in 2023, narrowly missing out on a podium finish on both occasions.

Chanu produces strong performance in 49kg category

Chanu lifted 87kg in the snatch and 111kg in the clean and jerk to register a combined total of 198kg and claim the silver medal.

The Indian began the snatch section with an 83kg lift before successfully completing attempts at 85kg and 87kg. She then opened her clean and jerk campaign with 107kg.

Chanu successfully completed her second clean and jerk attempt at 111kg, taking her overall tally to 198kg. She did not manage to improve that total on her final attempt.

North Korea’s Ri Song Gum claimed the gold after producing a total lift of 215kg. She also set a world record in the snatch and clean and jerk. Wijayana secured the bronze medal.

The silver was particularly significant for Chanu, who had endured disappointment at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. She finished fourth after withdrawing from her final clean and jerk attempt because of an injury.

Another milestone in a decorated career

The Aichi-Nagoya silver adds another major honour to Chanu’s already remarkable career. The 30-year-old Olympic silver medallist has also won a World Championship title and three consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medals.

Chanu entered the Asian Games after winning gold at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games, carrying considerable expectations into the 49kg competition. Her latest podium finish now completes her collection of major multi-sport honours.

The medal also contributed to India’s campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where athletes across several disciplines continued to make their mark.

India enjoyed a productive day in sports including kabaddi, boxing, squash, rowing, canoe sprint and table tennis, while the country also won medals in shooting, soft tennis and weightlifting.

Chanu’s historic silver, however, stood out as a landmark moment for Indian weightlifting, bringing the country back onto the Asian Games podium in the discipline after nearly three decades.