Indian Lifter Mirabai Chanu Makes A Comeback

Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Mirabai Chanu is set to make her comeback to competition on Monday (August 25, 2025) after taking a year off.

She will be spearheading the home team at the Commonwealth Championships, where Indian weightlifters are anticipated to secure a significant number of medals.

Chanu, who has faced injuries over the past few years, was last spotted at the Paris Games last August, where she fell short of the podium by just a kilogram.

With the new Olympic weight categories set for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, the 31 year old has chosen to drop from the 49kg division to 48kg.

This is a weight class where she previously snagged her world championship title and two Commonwealth Games medals, although she hasn’t competed in it since 2018.

Managing weight is going to be tough, and Chanu has acknowledged that. But the determined Manipuri, who has earned nearly every award in the sport, is taking it in stride.

She’s been collaborating closely with chief national coach Vijay Sharma, refining her technique as she aims for that tricky 90kg snatch.

Still, while she gears up for the World Championships in October, Chanu won’t be pushing herself to the max at the Commonwealth Championships, which is one of the qualifying events for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Even though Chanu is the main draw, India’s team is likely to land on the podium in nearly every weight class.

The Commonwealth events including the Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth Championships have always been a great opportunity for Indian lifters, especially with the absence of strong competitors like China and North Korea.

When India hosted the Championships back in 2023, the home team wrapped up with an impressive total of 20 medals.

Once again, a bunch of CWG medallists, like silver medallist Bindiyarani Devi and bronze medallists Harjinder Kaur and Lovepreet Singh, are aiming to boost India’s medal count.

Team India

1)Women – Mirabai Chanu (48kg), Sneha Soren (53kg), Bindyarani Devi (58kg), Seram Nirupama Devi (63kg), Harjinder Kaur (69kg), Harmanpreet Kaur (77kg), Vanshita Verma (86kg), Mehak Sharma (+86kg)

2)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).

Team India

Share this:

Like this:

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Quote Of The Week

Subscribe My Channel

Discover more from Connect2ConnectOnline