Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu is set to make her long-awaited return to competition on Monday, spearheading India’s campaign at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad. After a year away from the platform, all eyes will be on the Manipuri stalwart as the host nation aims for another medal-rich outing.
Chanu, who narrowly missed a medal at the Paris Olympics last year, has chosen to return in the 48kg weight class, a division where she last competed in 2018 but which now forms part of the new Olympic structure for the Los Angeles 2028 cycle. It is a weight category that already holds happy memories for her: a world championship crown and two Commonwealth Games medals.
Managing the drop from 49kg to 48kg will test her resolve, but the 31-year-old has embraced the challenge. Working under chief coach Vijay Sharma, she has sharpened her focus on refining technique, particularly her pursuit of a 90kg snatch, a mark that has long eluded her.
Her immediate goal, however, is not to peak here but to build towards October’s World Championships. “I’m not putting all my effort into Ahmedabad because I’m preparing for the World Championships. My biggest target is the Asian Games, where I aim to break world records and win a medal, as I have none there yet,” Chanu told reporters on Saturday.
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While Chanu will inevitably command the spotlight, India’s strength lies in depth. The Commonwealth stage has historically been rewarding for Indian lifters, given the absence of traditional powerhouses like China and North Korea. At the previous edition hosted in 2023, the squad bagged 20 medals, and expectations remain high for a similar haul.
The team boasts familiar names, including Commonwealth Games medallists Bindiyarani Devi, Harjinder Kaur and Lovepreet Singh, who will be tasked with sustaining India’s dominance across divisions.
Indian squad:
Women: Mirabai Chanu (48kg), Sneha Soren (53kg), Bindiyarani Devi (58kg), Seram Nirupama Devi (63kg), Harjinder Kaur (69kg), Harmanpreet Kaur (77kg), Vanshita Verma (86kg), Mehak Sharma (+86kg).
Men: Chanambam Rishikanta Singh (60kg), M Raja (65kg), Narayana Ajith (71kg), Valluri Ajaya Babu (79kg), Ajay Singh (88kg), Dilbag Singh (94kg), Harcharan Singh (110kg), Lovepreet Singh (+110kg).
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