‘Pride of Manipur’: CM Yumnam Khemchand hails Mirabai Chanu after Asian Games silver

Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh congratulated weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu after she won the silver medal in the women’s 49kg category at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 23.

Chanu lifted a combined 198kg to secure the silver, adding an Asian Games medal to an already decorated international career.

“Heartiest congratulations to our pride of Manipur, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, on winning the Silver Medal in the Women’s 49 kg Weightlifting event at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan, with a remarkable total lift of 198 kg,” Khemchand Singh said in a Facebook post.

The chief minister said Chanu’s “strength, determination and perseverance” had once again brought pride to Manipur and India, adding that her achievement could inspire young athletes to aim higher.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Chanu on her medal, describing it as “a special Silver” and praising her determination and consistency.

Chanu, 32, completed all three of her snatch attempts at 83kg, 85kg and 87kg. She then lifted 107kg in her opening clean and jerk attempt before successfully clearing 111kg in her second attempt to finish with a total of 198kg.

North Korea’s Ri Song Gum won gold with a total of 215kg, while Wijayana took bronze.

The Asian Games medal marks the completion of a major gap in Chanu’s medal collection. She had won Olympic silver at Tokyo 2020, three Commonwealth Games gold medals, as well as medals at the World Championships, Asian Championships and Commonwealth Championships, but had yet to stand on the Asian Games podium.

Her previous Asian Games campaign in Hangzhou in 2023 ended without a medal after an injury forced her to withdraw from her final clean and jerk attempt. She finished fourth.

Chanu’s latest achievement also places her among a select group of Indian weightlifters to have won medals at the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, Asian Championships and Commonwealth Championships. She is the second Indian weightlifter after Karnam Malleshwari to achieve the feat.

Born on August 8, 1994, in Nongpok Kakching, Manipur, Chanu grew up in a modest family as the youngest of six siblings. Her father, Saikhom Kriti Meitei, worked with the Public Works Department, while her mother, Saikhom Tombi, ran a small shop.

Her sporting journey began with an interest in archery, but her physical strength was noticed at the Khuman Lampak Sports Academy in Imphal. She began formal weightlifting training in 2008 and travelled from her village to Imphal for practice.

Chanu later moved into the national training system, including stints in Bengaluru and at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala. Coach Vijay Sharma has been a key figure in her senior career.

She won her first World Championship title in 2017 and went on to claim Commonwealth Games gold in 2018 and 2022. She also won gold at the 2021 Asian Championships and secured World Championship silver medals in 2022 and 2025.

Her Olympic silver at Tokyo made her one of India's most prominent weightlifters. Although she finished fourth at the Paris Olympics in 2024, she returned to the international podium at the 2025 World Championships.

The Asian Games silver now completes the set of major international medals that had remained missing from Chanu’s career.

Khemchand Singh, in his message, urged young athletes to draw inspiration from her journey and strive for greater heights.

“Proud of you, Mirabai!” the chief minister said.