Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu secured silver, breaking India's 28-year medal drought
Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu broke India’s 28-year podium drought in continental weightlifting on Wednesday, securing a silver medal in the women’s 49kg competition at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. Her performance delivered India’s first weightlifting medal at the continental event since 1998, ending decades of near-misses and injury setbacks. This achievement also marks Chanu’s first career podium finish at the Asian Games, filling the last remaining major gap in her international medal collection.
Breakthroughs across disciplines
Indian athletes generated strong results across multiple venues on Day 4 of the competition. Jay Meena secured India’s first medal in soft tennis history, taking bronze in men’s singles after an injury forced him to withdraw from his semi-final clash.
Success continued at the shotgun range as Indian shooters secured two bronze medals in team skeet events. The men’s trio of Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Mairaj Ahmed Khan, and Bhavtegh Singh Gill finished third on the podium, with Naruka advancing to the individual final. Earlier in the session, the women’s skeet team of Maheshwari Chauhan, Raiza Dhillon, and Parinaaz Dhaliwal also claimed bronze.
Disappointment struck at the indoor shooting arena, where double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker finished fifth in the women’s 10m air pistol individual final. The women’s pistol trio—comprising Bhaker, Suruchi Inder Singh, and Esha Singh—narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth overall.
In team events, India’s women’s kabaddi side earned a convincing 37-23 victory over Iran in Group A. Rowers Balraj Panwar, Satnam Singh, and Salman Khan secured spots in their respective finals, keeping medal hopes alive across rowing and sprint categories.
