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India's Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu will miss the upcoming Asian Weightlifting Championships 2026 as she continues her recovery from a shoulder injury, dealing a blow to the host nation ahead of the continental event beginning on Monday.
The championships, scheduled from May 11 to 17 at the Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar, were expected to mark Chanu's return to international competition. However, the Indian camp has decided against rushing the former world champion back into action with a packed international calendar ahead, according to Olympics.com. Chanu, who won a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, last competed at the national championships in Modinagar in February. Despite struggling with the shoulder issue, she secured gold in the women's 48kg category, underlining her determination and competitive spirit. The 31-year-old has been managing recurring fitness concerns since suffering a hip injury during the Asian Games Hangzhou 2023. Her team has opted for a cautious approach to ensure she regains full fitness before the major assignments later this year, including the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. This will be the third straight edition of the Asian Championships that Chanu will miss because of injury-related concerns. Her last appearance at the continental meet came in 2023 in Jinju, Republic of Korea, where she finished sixth overall. One of India's most decorated weightlifters, Chanu claimed overall bronze at the 2020 Asian Championships and produced a memorable performance in the clean and jerk section, lifting a then-world-record 119kg to win gold. She had also bagged a bronze medal in clean and jerk at the 2019 edition. In Chanu's absence, Komal Kohar will represent India in the women's 48kg category. Overall, India will field a 16-member contingent comprising eight male and eight female lifters at the continental championships. (ANI)
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