Mirabai Chanu Saikhom wins silver in women's 49kg at Nagoya Asian Games

Mirabai Chanu Saikhom won the silver medal in the women's 49kg weightlifting final at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on September 23, 2026. "It feels ki life complete ho gaya (It feels like life is complete)," she said.

Asian athletes have dominated the women’s 48kg and 49kg weight divisions for 25 years, winning 27 of 30 Olympic medals and holding all World records, and that context framed expectations around the Nagoya event. The pursuit of an Asian Games medal had been a driving aim for India’s Mirabai Chanu. "I’m feeling so happy... so light. Bilkul weight hat gaya hai [the weight has lifted completely]," she said after the win.

At the Hangzhou Asiad of 2023 she knew she had tweaked her hip during warm-up. She nonetheless loaded 117kg on the bar — the second-most she had ever attempted — as she bid for bronze. However, she collapsed and had to be carried off stage.

Earlier in her Asian Games career she had fallen short in Incheon 2014. She missed the 2018 Jakarta edition with injury. She also missed out at Paris.

When the lightest Olympic weight division moved to 53kg, Mirabai — rather than bulking up for the LA Games after missing out at Paris — kept her weight down to focus on the podium in Nagoya. "I had to work so hard to preserve myself to maintain my weight but this was so important for me." That approach produced the silver medal in Nagoya.

She posed on the podium after the women's 49kg weightlifting final at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on September 23, 2026. With the silver medal in hand now, she reiterated, "It feels ki life complete ho gaya (It feels like life is complete)," she said.