When Mirabai Chanu walked onto the platform at the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships, she wasn’t just lifting iron — she was lifting months of pain, doubt, and sheer willpower. Only weeks earlier, the Olympic silver medallist could barely straighten her arms. Yet in Forde, Norway, she fought through the pain to claim a stunning silver medal, proving that resilience can be every bit as mighty as muscle.
Now, with the Asian Games on the horizon and Olympic ambitions reignited, her long-time coach Vijay Sharma is carefully crafting a blueprint to achieve what no Indian weightlifter has done before — win an Asian Games medal.
Testing the Limits, Finding the Rhythm
The World Championships was our testing ground. We returned to the 48 kg category after 2018, so there was some difficulty in adjusting the body weight. We wanted to see how her body responded. We managed 193 kg at the Commonwealth Championships and 199 kg at the Worlds — that gives us both satisfaction and confidence.
That silver in Norway was more than a podium finish — it was a statement of revival. “This competition was very important for us,” Sharma explains. “It tells us who our competitors are, what weights they’re lifting, and where exactly we need to improve — in snatch or clean and jerk. We’re second in the world now, but our fight is for the top spot.”
Crossing The 200 kg Mark — Again
The coach’s new target is bold and precise: to take Chanu past the 200 kg mark, something she last achieved during her Olympic cycle.
Our target for the Asian Games is to snatch over 90 kg. That’s where the difference lies. We’ve improved in clean and jerk, but the snatch needs more work — both technically and mentally. Some of it is psychological, and we’re working on both fronts to make her more confident under pressure.
Managing Pain, Maximising Performance
Behind every lift lies a careful balance between ambition and recovery. Chanu, now in her thirties, competes in one of the most punishing sports in the world, where even minor imbalances can derail months of training.
In weightlifting, wrestling, or boxing, 90% of the athletes face injuries. It’s part of the sport. We just have to ensure there are no major ones. That’s why we are managing her training load with extreme precision. We’ve studied how much she can handle and how much rest she needs — that’s the science behind high performance.
Chasing History
What drives them both is not just medals, but the weight of history.
In the last 25 years, there has been no Indian medal in weightlifting at the Asian Games. That’s a very sad thing. Our first goal before the Olympics is to change that. You look at the medal table — the top seven lifters are from Asia. The Asian Games is almost equal to the World Championships, sometimes even tougher.
Grounded Preparations, Global Vision
The roadmap is already drawn. Training continues at Sharma’s academy in Modi Nagar, near Delhi, with medical support from Dr Aron, their US-based physiotherapist. “If he calls us, we’ll go; otherwise, we’ll train here,” Sharma says. “We’re not planning to train abroad — we have all the facilities we need here, in a controlled environment where I can monitor every session.”
The academy is quietly emerging as a breeding ground for India’s next generation of lifters.
A girl from our setup just made a youth world record at the Commonwealth Championship. Another, Prashmita Bhoi, is doing brilliantly in the 44 kg category. If everything goes well, she’ll be in the Olympics soon. My dream is that many from my academy will represent India.
Beyond the Silver
For Chanu, that silver in Forde is not the destination — it’s a reminder of her strength and unfinished business. Every lift, every disciplined morning, and every recovery session is now aimed at breaking India’s long drought at the Asian Games.
We’ve got satisfaction from this competition but also motivation. If we work a little harder, we can win medals at the Commonwealth and Asian Games. We know where to improve. We know what to chase.
A Nation Waiting for Lift-Off
As the Asian Games draw near, Mirabai Chanu once again stands on the edge of history — a torchbearer of grit, a symbol of endurance, and the embodiment of a nation’s strength. Under Vijay Sharma’s steady guidance, India’s long wait for a golden moment in Asian weightlifting might finally be coming to an end.
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