Star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has made it clear that her campaign at the Commonwealth Games 2026 will be guided by a bigger objective: ending her long wait for an Asian Games medal later this year.
The
Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, who is bidding for a third straight Commonwealth Games gold, said she will not push herself to attempt the much-anticipated 90kg snatch in Glasgow, choosing instead to stick to a carefully managed plan aimed at peaking for the Asian Games from September 19 to October 4 in Japan.
“I will not give my full effort in the Commonwealth Games. My focus is the Asian Games, which are very near. I am training according to that. So, my performance and effort here will depend on that plan,” Chanu told news agency PTI on Thursday.
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The Asian Games remains the only major event missing from Chanu’s decorated resume.
The former world champion has already won an Olympic silver medal, two World Championships medals and three Commonwealth Games medals, but is yet to reach the podium at the continental showpiece.
With the Asian Games just weeks away, Chanu is unwilling to take unnecessary risks in Glasgow, even if that means postponing her pursuit of the elusive 90kg snatch.
“You can’t really predict how the body will perform on a given day but I will try to get 90kg in the Asian Games for sure,” she said.
The challenge at the Asian Games is expected to be significantly tougher, with Chanu set to face lifters from traditional powerhouses China, Thailand and North Korea. It is that competition, rather than the Commonwealth Games, that has shaped her training schedule.
Despite adopting a conservative approach, Chanu remains the overwhelming favourite in the women’s 48kg event at the Commonwealth Games. She is expected to secure her fourth Commonwealth Games medal, and third consecutive gold, by successfully completing legal lifts in the snatch and clean and jerk.
Beyond the Asian Games, Chanu is preparing for another major transition. Following changes to the Olympic weight categories ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Games, she plans to move permanently to the 53kg division.
She will compete in the 48kg category at the Commonwealth Games and the 49kg class at the Asian Games before making the switch.
The 31-year-old said the move would ease the burden of years spent managing her weight.
“Weight management is very difficult. Since the time I have been competing, I have been maintaining either 48kg or 49kg. It is very difficult. You have to keep track of a lot of things. Half a player’s life goes into this,” she said.
“I am really happy that I will go to 53kg. I will feel very relaxed that I will not have to control my weight. But yes, when the weight increases, there will be more competition and I will have to improve my performance,” she added.
Chanu also addressed India’s reduced weightlifting quota at the Commonwealth Games, a consequence of multiple anti-doping rule violations by Indian lifters, and urged athletes to be vigilant.
“I just want to say, we all need to be particular about what we eat because eating one wrong thing can spoil your entire life. And believe in your hard work,” she said.
With PTI Inputs
