Asian Games 2026: Mirabai Chanu clinches silver, says ‘ultimate dream’ fulfilled

Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu secured a silver medal at the 2026 Asian Games, adding the continental multi-sport event medal to an already decorated international career.

Speaking after her podium finish, Chanu said the Asian Games medal had been a long-standing goal and described the achievement as particularly significant after her previous Asian Games campaign was affected by injury.

“I am overjoyed. I had been waiting for this day for years,” Chanu said. She noted that she had already won an Olympic medal, a World Championship medal and three Commonwealth Games gold medals, but said an Asian Games medal remained an important target.

“This was the ultimate dream for us; it was incredibly important to me, and now I’ve finally secured it. I’ve added the Asian Games medal to my collection, and having achieved something for India and for weightlifting, I am absolutely delighted,” she said.

Chanu said her preparations for the 2026 Asian Games remained largely unchanged, with the focus on maintaining the training methods that had worked previously. However, she said the team paid particular attention to the weight combinations that could arise during competition.

“We trained very well. These Asian Games were crucial for me because I had suffered an injury during the previous ones. So, this was my best opportunity to prove myself,” she said.

According to Chanu, the team approached the competition with a clearly defined strategy, including decisions on the opening weights and subsequent attempts.

“The preparation routine didn't change much; we stuck to the same methods we had been using before. However, we were determined not to let this opportunity slip away,” she said.

“We went onto the stage with a clear strategy regarding the weights, deciding exactly what to attempt and where to start. We simply focused more on the specific weight combinations we might face and planned accordingly,” Chanu added.

The silver medal adds another major international honour to Chanu's career and gives her a podium finish at the Asian Games after the injury setback she referred to from the previous edition.