Asian Games 2026 weightlifting: India ends campaign with one silver as Harjinder finishes 9th in 69kg
Synopsis
India's weightlifting campaign at Asian Games 2026 ended with a single silver — Mirabai Chanu's historic maiden Asiad medal — while Harjinder Kaur, who lifted 227kg at the Commonwealth Games months earlier, could manage only 204kg in Nagoya to finish ninth. One medal from four competitors underscores a persistent gap between India's Commonwealth-level form and Asian Games performance.
Key Takeaways
Harjinder Kaur finished ninth in the women's 69kg final at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya with a combined lift of 204kg .
Her performance was well below her 2026 Commonwealth Games combined of 227kg , where she won silver.
Mirabai Chanu was India's sole medal-winner, claiming silver in the women's 49kg event with a 198kg combined lift.
The silver was Chanu's first-ever Asian Games medal , completing a cabinet that includes an Olympic silver, three Commonwealth gold medals, and a World Championships gold.
Gyaneshwari Yadav (8th, 195kg in 53kg) and Seram Nirupama Devi (7th, 217kg in 61kg) both missed the podium.
India finished the Aichi-Nagoya Games weightlifting programme with just one silver medal from four entries.
India's weightlifting campaign at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya concluded on Sunday, 27 September with a single silver medal to show, after Harjinder Kaur finished a disappointing ninth in the women's 69kg final at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Center. The result underlined a tough outing for the Indian squad, with only Mirabai Chanu having made it to the podium across the entire weightlifting programme at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Harjinder Kaur's Difficult Final
Harjinder, a silver medallist at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, managed a combined lift of 204kg in the 69kg final — well short of her own recent benchmark. In the snatch, she successfully lifted 94kg but saw both her attempts at 97kg ruled out as unclean lifts. She completed a single effort of 110kg in the clean and jerk, enough only for ninth place overall.
The contrast with her Glasgow performance was stark: Harjinder had recorded a combined 227kg at the Commonwealth Games, with 101kg in the snatch and 126kg in the clean and jerk. Her form at the Asiad final was notably below that peak.
India's Weightlifting Scorecard at Asian Games 2026
Across all weight categories, India's results were largely underwhelming. Gyaneshwari Yadav finished eighth in the women's 53kg event with a total of 195kg, while Seram Nirupama Devi placed seventh in the women's 61kg event after a combined lift of 217kg. Neither athlete made it onto the podium, leaving Chanu as the sole medal-winner for India in the discipline.
Mirabai Chanu Completes Her Trophy Cabinet
The campaign's one bright spot came earlier, when Mirabai Chanu lifted a combined 198kg in the women's 49kg event to claim silver — her maiden Asian Games medal after years of coming close at the continental meet. The achievement completed an illustrious haul for the veteran lifter: she now holds an Olympic silver, three Commonwealth Games gold medals, and three World Championships medals, including a gold.
'Finally, I have won a medal. I am very happy that I have a silver. This is what I have been waiting for for many years. This has been my dream since I started weightlifting. Today, I have finally got it!' Chanu said after her podium finish.
She added: 'I have been dreaming of winning a medal in Asian Games for many years. Today, my dream has come true. I am very proud of myself. I have won a silver medal for the country in weightlifting after many years.'
What India's Weightlifting Result Means Going Forward
India's tally of one silver from four competitors reflects persistent inconsistency at the Asian level, even as Indian lifters have excelled at the Commonwealth stage. The gap between Commonwealth and Asian Games performance — especially visible in Harjinder's numbers — points to the heightened competition from China, South Korea, and Central Asian nations at the Asiad. Notably, this was Mirabai Chanu's long-awaited breakthrough at the Asian Games, making her achievement all the more significant against this backdrop. The federation and coaching staff are likely to analyse where technical execution fell short ahead of the next qualification cycle.
Point of View
And the numbers tell the story plainly: Harjinder Kaur's 204kg in Nagoya against her own 227kg in Glasgow is not a form blip — it is a systemic performance drop under Asian-level pressure. Mirabai Chanu's long-overdue Asiad silver deserves full recognition, but it also masks the uncomfortable truth that India's weightlifting depth at the continental tier remains thin. The question the federation must answer is whether Commonwealth success is being used as a substitute for genuine Asian-level readiness, or as a genuine stepping stone to it.
NationPress
27 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Harjinder Kaur perform at the Asian Games 2026?
Harjinder Kaur finished ninth in the women's 69kg final in Nagoya with a combined lift of 204kg — 94kg in the snatch and 110kg in the clean and jerk. Both her attempts at 97kg in the snatch were ruled out as unclean lifts, contributing to the disappointing result.
Did India win any medals in weightlifting at Asian Games 2026?
India won one medal — a silver — through Mirabai Chanu in the women's 49kg event, with a combined lift of 198kg. The other three Indian lifters, including Harjinder Kaur, Gyaneshwari Yadav, and Seram Nirupama Devi, did not reach the podium.
What is the significance of Mirabai Chanu's Asian Games silver?
The silver was Mirabai Chanu's maiden Asian Games medal, fulfilling what she described as a lifelong dream. It completes a remarkable collection that now includes an Olympic silver, three Commonwealth Games gold medals, and three World Championships medals including a gold.
How did India's other weightlifters fare at the Aichi-Nagoya Games?
Gyaneshwari Yadav placed eighth in the women's 53kg event with a combined 195kg, and Seram Nirupama Devi finished seventh in the women's 61kg event with a combined 217kg. Neither made the podium, meaning only Chanu medalled for India across the entire programme.
How does Harjinder Kaur's Asian Games performance compare to her Commonwealth Games form?
At the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Harjinder Kaur lifted a combined 227kg — 101kg in the snatch and 126kg in the clean and jerk — to win silver. Her 204kg combined in Nagoya was 23kg below that mark, reflecting the greater competitive intensity at the Asian Games level.
