“An Asian Games Medal Is Equal To An Olympic Medal”: Mirabai Chanu On Her Historic Silver

For years, Mirabai Chanu had conquered almost every major stage in international weightlifting. Olympic silver, World Championship medals, Commonwealth Games golds and Asian Championship success were already part of her remarkable collection.

But there was one glaring omission.An Asian Games medal. On Wednesday, in Japan, Mirabai Chanu finally filled that empty space.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist produced a composed performance in the women's 49kg category to win the silver medal at the Asian Games 2026, registering a total lift of 198kg at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Center.

More than just another medal, the achievement marked the fulfilment of a dream that had stayed with Mirabai since the beginning of her weightlifting journey.

"I feel very good and very happy. This is my dream Asian Games medal. Finally, I got the silver medal, so I'm very, very happy.
Before this, I was very happy when I won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Now, I have won a silver medal at the Asian Games, so I'm very happy. Most of all, winning an Asian Games medal has been my dream since I started weightlifting. Today, I have finally won the silver medal, so I'm very, very happy."

Mirabai's Asian Games journey has been anything but straightforward.

She made her debut at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, where she finished ninth in the women's 48kg category. Four years later, an injury prevented her from competing at the 2018 edition.

At Hangzhou 2023, another opportunity slipped away in heartbreaking fashion.

Competing in the 49kg category, Mirabai finished fourth with a total of 191kg. Her campaign ended painfully after she suffered an injury during her final clean and jerk attempt, leaving her just outside the medal positions.

Japan, therefore, represented more than another competition. It was another opportunity to finally achieve what had eluded her for so long.
And this time, Mirabai delivered.

Mirabai looked assured from the beginning of the competition.
She successfully completed all three of her snatch attempts, progressing from 83kg to 85kg before completing 87kg on her final attempt.
That put her in a strong position heading into the clean and jerk. She opened the second half of the competition with 107kg and then successfully lifted 111kg to take her overall total to 198kg. With the silver medal secured, she did not go for a third attempt.

The gold, meanwhile, went to DPR Korea's Ri Song-gum, who produced a remarkable world-record total of 215kg, combining a 94kg snatch with a 121kg clean and jerk. Both individual lifts were also world records in the 49kg category.

Indonesia's Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana completed the podium with a total of 191kg.

For Mirabai, the importance of an Asian Games medal goes beyond simply adding another piece of silverware to her collection.
She explained why the continental event carries such significance for weightlifters:
"Actually, in the Asian Games, the strongest weightlifters in the world compete. Countries like India, Korea, Thailand and China have very strong weightlifters. We believe that an Asian Games medal is equal to an Olympic medal. That's why I'm very happy.
There are fewer Olympic medals for Indian weightlifting, but at the Asian Games, I feel that winning a medal is also a great achievement."

Her words underline the level of competition she associates with the Asian Games, where some of the world's strongest weightlifting nations regularly compete.

Mirabai's silver also carries significance for Indian weightlifting.
Karnam Malleswari had won India's last Asian Games weightlifting medal at Bangkok 1998, taking silver in the women's 63kg category.
Twenty-eight years later, Mirabai has finally ended that wait.
Her silver in Japan becomes India's latest Asian Games weightlifting medal and her first at the continental showpiece.
It also completes a unique chapter in Mirabai's own career.
She has now won medals at the Olympics, World Championships, Asian Games, Asian Championships, Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Championships and South Asian Games.
For years, the Asian Games medal was the one missing from that list. Now it is finally there.

Before the Asian Games, Mirabai had told myKhel that the continental medal was the only major piece missing from her collection and that she would give everything she could to win it.

In Japan, she turned those words into reality.

The silver medal may not have come with the gold, but for Mirabai, its significance goes far beyond its colour.

It represents a dream that began when she first took up weightlifting, a redemption after the heartbreak of Hangzhou, and the completion of a medal cabinet built over years of dedication.

One medal was missing. Now, the cabinet is complete.