New Delhi [India], September 23 (ANI): Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday congratulated Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu on successful silver on the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, describing it as a historic achievement that ended India’s 28-year watch for a medal within the sport on the continental showpiece.
Mandaviya shared a publish on X, writing, ‘Historic Silver for Mirabai Chanu! Congratulations on successful the Silver Medal within the Women’s 49kg Weightlifting occasion at #AsianGames2026. This marks her first Asian Games medal and brings India one other medal on the Games after 28 years! The whole nation is pleased with you.’
https://x.com/mansukhmandviya/status/2102655080709374397
Chanu secured her maiden Asian Games medal within the ladies’s 49kg class with a mixed raise of 198kg. She efficiently accomplished all three of her snatch makes an attempt, lifting 83kg, 85kg and 87kg, earlier than registering 111kg in her second clear and jerk try.
North Korea’s Ri Song Gum gained gold with a complete raise of 215kg, whereas Wijayana claimed bronze.
The silver added one other main achievement to Chanu’s embellished profession. A Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist and three-time Commonwealth Games champion, she grew to become the second Indian weightlifter after Karnam Malleshwari to win medals on the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, Asian Championships and Commonwealth Championships.
Chanu had completed fourth on the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 after an harm compelled her to withdraw from her last clear and jerk try. She returned to the continental stage after successful gold on the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Mandaviya additionally congratulated tender tennis participant Jay Meena, who gained India’s first-ever Asian Games medal within the sport after securing bronze within the males’s singles occasion.
‘Heartiest congratulations to Jay Meena on securing the first-ever Bronze Medal within the Men’s Singles Soft Tennis occasion on the #AsianGames2026,’ Mandaviya wrote on X.
Meena’s marketing campaign ended within the semi-finals, the place he misplaced 2-4 to Japan’s Takuya Kurosaka. The Indian went down within the first three units earlier than successful the subsequent two to scale back the deficit to 2-3, however Kurosaka clinched the sixth set 4-1 to seal the competition.
Meena had earlier defeated the Philippines’ Sherwin Nuguit within the quarter-finals, assuring India of a historic medal as all semi-finalists had been assured a podium end.
India’s medal tally stood at 11, putting the nation twelfth within the standings, whereas China led with 66 medals on the time of penning this report. (ANI)