Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, India’s leading weightlifter and Tokyo 2020 Olympics silver medallist, has set her sights on winning a long-awaited medal at the Asian Games, describing it as “unfinished business.”
Speaking after the opening of the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 in Raipur, Mirabai said that despite her success on the global stage, an Asian Games medal remains missing from her achievements.
She first competed at the Asian Games in 2014 in Incheon, finishing ninth, and later withdrew from the 2018 Jakarta edition due to a back injury. Her closest opportunity came at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, where a hip injury ended her campaign just short of a podium finish and kept her out of competition for nearly five months.
Now 31, Mirabai is preparing for a challenging 2026 season, which will require her to switch between weight categories. Following changes by the International Weightlifting Federation, she will compete in the 48kg category at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2, before returning to the 49kg category for the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.
“The Asian Games is very important to me because I still have unfinished business there. The competition is very high, which makes it more challenging and exciting,” she said.
Mirabai began her 2026 season strongly at the National Weightlifting Championships in February, setting three national records in the women’s 48kg category. She lifted 89kg in the snatch and 116kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 205kg to win the gold medal. The total also matched her personal best in the 49kg category, achieved at the Asian Weightlifting Championships five years ago.
She described the Khelo India Tribal Games as a major initiative that will help athletes from remote and tribal regions showcase their talent, especially those from the North-East.
Mirabai also acknowledged the role of National Centres of Excellence, Khelo India State Centres of Excellence, and training centres under the Sports Authority of India in supporting athletes with quality coaching, nutrition, and infrastructure.