Imphal (Manipur) [India], September 23 (ANI): Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu’s mom, Saikhom Tombi Leima, expressed happiness after her daughter received the silver medal within the ladies’s 49 kg class on the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, saying she stays pleased with her achievement whereas hoping for a gold medal sooner or later.
Speaking to ANI, Mirabai Chanu’s mom stated she was joyful and pleased with her daughter’s silver medal win, although she had hoped for gold. She stated she had suggested Mirabai to remain calm, pray, stay targeted and provides her finest, including that she hopes her daughter continues to work exhausting for future gold medals.
‘I really feel very joyful. I had hoped and thought she would win the gold, however her profitable the silver medal nonetheless brings us immense pleasure. If she had received the gold, we’d have been even happier, however I’m nonetheless very pleased with her. Yesterday night, we spoke. We could not speak this morning. Yesterday night we had a protracted dialog. She instructed me that her bout was scheduled early, so we would not be capable to communicate within the morning. I instructed her to recollect God, keep calm, play with full willpower, and provides her all to win the gold. That’s what we talked about yesterday. We could not speak this morning. I instructed her to focus, pray, and provides her finest effort. In the longer term, too, she is going to proceed to work exhausting to win gold,” she said.
Chanu secured her maiden Asian Games medal with a combined lift of 198 kg, ending a long wait for a podium finish at the continental event. The Olympic medallist completed all three of her snatch attempts, lifting 83kg, 85kg and 87kg.
In the clean and jerk, she opened with 107 kg before successfully lifting 111 kg in her second attempt to finish with a total of 198 kg.
North Korea’s Ri Song Gum won gold with a total lift of 215 kg, while Wijayana claimed bronze.Â
The silver marked another significant milestone in Chanu’s decorated career. A Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist and three-time Commonwealth Games champion, she became the second Indian weightlifter after Karnam Malleshwari to win medals at the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, Asian Championships and Commonwealth Championships.
Mirabai Chanu’s brother said the family had hoped for a gold medal but was happy with her silver medal win at the Asian Games. He thanked sports lovers in India and Manipur, saying the silver medal was also a significant achievement.
‘This time in the Asian Games, my sister couldn’t get the gold, but she has won silver. So, to all sports lovers, all sports enthusiasts in India and Manipur, I would like to extend my blessings; I want to say thank you very much. We were hoping for the gold medal; we had thought she would get it, but she couldn’t win it-no problem. She has won a silver medal; that is also a very good thing,” he stated.
Chanu had narrowly missed an Asian Games podium end at Hangzhou in 2023, when an harm compelled her to withdraw from her remaining clear and jerk try, leaving her fourth.
The 32-year-old entered the Aichi-Nagoya Games after profitable gold on the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, including one other main medal to her assortment.
Born in Nongpok Kakching, Manipur, Chanu started formal weightlifting coaching in 2008. She rose from humble beginnings to grow to be certainly one of India’s most celebrated athletes, along with her journey inspiring a brand new era of weightlifters. (ANI)