An athlete from the tribal community in Manipur, Mirabai says KITG will be a game-changer
Raipur :For more than a decade, SaikhomMirabaiChanu has been the face of Indian weightlifting. During this period, she has bagged an impressive medal haul that includes a Tokyo Olympics silver, three World Championship medals and three Commonwealth Games podium finishes. Yet one achievement continues to elude the Manipuri lifter — a medal at the Asian Games.
Mirabai first competed in the continental showpiece at the age of 19, finishing ninth at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. She was later forced to withdraw from the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta due to a back injury that disrupted her preparations.
The closest she came to a medal was at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where a hip injury dashed her hopes after coming agonisingly close to sealing a podium finish. The setback had also side-lined her for nearly five months.
The 31-year-old made an impressive recovery to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where she narrowly missed out on a second consecutive Olympic medal. Since then, she has been focused on finally ending her Asian Games medal drought.
“The Asian Games is very important personally because I still have unfinished business there. The competition level is very high, which makes it even more challenging and exciting,” Mirabai said at a press conference following the opening ceremony of the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 in Raipur on Wednesday.
One of the key challenges for Mirabai has been adjusting her weight category. She has largely competed in the 49kg division but must now shift between categories following a revision in weight classes by the International Weightlifting Federation.
As a result, she will compete in the 48kg category at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, scheduled from July 23 to August 2 in Glasgow, before moving back to 49kg for another attempt at an Asian Games medal at the upcoming edition in Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.
“I will keep my weight within 48kg till the Commonwealth Games, but within two months of it, there are Asian Games, which is in 49 kg, so I will have to switch back,” noted Mirabai.
She began her 2026 season in impressive fashion at the National Weightlifting Championships in February, setting three new national records in the women’s 48kg category.
At the Nationals, Mirabai lifted 89kg in the snatch — her best effort despite competing in a weight class below her usual 49kg division. She followed it up with a successful 116kg lift in clean and jerk, which stands as the national record in the women’s 48kg category, taking her total to 205kg and securing the gold medal.
The effort also equalled her personal best total of 205kg in the 49kg category, which she had previously recorded at the Asian Weightlifting Championships five years ago.
Meanwhile, Mirabai, who considers her gold medal at the 2017 World Weightlifting Championships even more special than her Olympic silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, praised the launch of the Khelo India Tribal Games, describing it as an important platform for athletes from remote regions.
“This a proud moment for me personally as a player to see the government prioritising numerous sports initiatives like Khelo India Tribal Games. The KIBG will give a platform to all those athletes, hailing from remote places, to showcase their potential. I have come across numerous such instances from across the country, especially from the North-East and other tribal regions where there is potential but couldn’t flourish due to lack of platforms like the KITG,” she said.
Mirabai also highlighted the role played by the National Centres of Excellence and the Khelo India State Centres of Excellence and SAI training centres across India in supporting elite athletes and nurturing the next generation of talent.
“The NCOEs and Khelo India State Centres of Excellence have been instrumental in providing world-class training facilities that has helped enabled elite athletes to maintain top form. There are a number of young athletes training in those centres who are preparing for global events, and with consistent coaching, nutrition and training environments, these centres are helping the sporting ecosystem,” she said.
