Indian weightlifting star and Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu has shifted her focus to the 2026 Asian Games, with the prestigious continental event now her next major target.
After securing a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, Chanu is determined to finally add an Asian Games medal to her impressive career record.
‘The Real Test Is Ahead’
Chanu believes the competition at the Commonwealth Games was not as challenging as what awaits her at the Asian Games.
She expects the Asian Games to feature several of the world’s leading weightlifters, making the event a much tougher test.
‘It Will Be Like the Olympics’
Speaking about the upcoming Asian Games, Chanu highlighted the strength of the competition in Asia.
With several top-ranked weightlifters coming from Asian countries, she believes the event could have an Olympic-like level of competition.
For Chanu, the challenge will be not only to win a medal but also to prove herself against some of the strongest competitors in her weight category.
Asian Games Medal Still Missing
Despite winning medals at the Olympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games, an Asian Games medal remains missing from Chanu’s collection.
She missed the 2018 Asian Games due to injury and finished fourth at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games in the 49kg category, with injury affecting her performance.
Strong Performance at Commonwealth Games
At the Commonwealth Games, Chanu delivered a strong performance to claim the gold medal, lifting a total of 190kg, including 85kg in the snatch and 105kg in the clean and jerk.
Her performance also helped her set Commonwealth Games records across the relevant categories.
Eyes on First Asian Games Medal
Chanu is now working towards the Asian Games with the goal of staying injury-free and delivering her best performance.
A medal at the continental event would complete another important milestone in the career of one of India’s most successful weightlifters.
