Mirabai Chanu Wins Asian Games Silver in Women's 49 kg, Ends India's 28-Year Weightlifting Wait

Mirabai Chanu won the silver medal in the women's 49 kg weightlifting event at the Asian Games on 23 September 2026 in Nagoya, in Japan's Aichi prefecture. She lifted 198 kg in total, made up of 87 kg in the snatch and 111 kg in the clean and jerk. The medal ended India's 28-year wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal, the last being Karnam Malleswari's silver in 1998. It was also Chanu's first Asian Games medal. Ri Song-gum of North Korea took the gold with a world record total of 215 kg.

What Happened

On 23 September 2026, Mirabai Chanu won the silver medal in the women's 49 kg weightlifting event at the Asian Games. She lifted 87 kg in the snatch and 111 kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 198 kg. Ri Song-gum of North Korea won the gold with 215 kg, setting world records in the snatch, the clean and jerk and the total. Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana of Indonesia took the bronze with 191 kg. For India the result mattered beyond the medal colour, because no Indian weightlifter had won an Asian Games medal for 28 years.

When & Where

The event was held on 23 September 2026 in Nagoya, a city in the Aichi prefecture of Japan, which hosted the 2026 Asian Games along with the prefecture. Japan is a long-standing weightlifting and Olympic sport host, and the region around Nagoya is one of the country's main industrial and sporting centres.

Who Is Involved

Mirabai Chanu — the Indian lifter who won silver with 198 kg. She is 32 years old and comes from Manipur.
Ri Song-gum — the North Korean lifter who won gold with a world record total of 215 kg.
Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana — the Indonesian lifter who won bronze with 191 kg.
Karnam Malleswari — the Indian lifter whose silver in 1998 was the previous Indian weightlifting medal at the Asian Games.
Olympic Council of Asia — the body that organises the Asian Games.

How It Works

Weightlifting has two lifts. In the snatch, the bar goes from the floor to overhead in one continuous movement.
In the clean and jerk, the bar is first brought to the shoulders and then driven overhead in a second movement, which is why heavier weights are lifted in it.
Each lifter gets three attempts at each lift. The best successful attempt in each counts.
The ranking is decided by the total of the best snatch and the best clean and jerk. Chanu's 198 kg is the sum of 87 kg and 111 kg.
Lifters compete within bodyweight categories, here the women's 49 kg class, so strength is compared at similar bodyweight.
A world record can be set separately in the snatch, in the clean and jerk and in the total, which is how Ri set records in all three.

Why It Matters

Sporting angle: a 28-year gap in Asian Games weightlifting medals is unusual for a country that regularly wins them at the Commonwealth Games, so this result closes a specific and long-noticed gap.
Competitive angle: the Asian Games field in weightlifting is far stronger than the Commonwealth field, because China, North Korea and other Asian powers compete. A medal here is a better test than a Commonwealth title.
Career angle: Chanu had already won an Olympic silver at Tokyo, but had never won an Asian Games medal, having finished fourth at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
National angle: the silver was part of an Indian campaign that reached 12 medals at the 2026 Asian Games by 23 September.

Historical Background

The Asian Games began in 1951, when New Delhi hosted the first edition. India hosted the Games again in 1982, also in New Delhi. Weightlifting has been part of the programme for decades, and Asian lifters dominate the sport globally, which makes Asian Games medals hard for Indian lifters to win. Karnam Malleswari won a silver in 1998, and she went on to become the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal with a bronze at Sydney in 2000. Mirabai Chanu carried that line forward with an Olympic silver at Tokyo, but the Asian Games medal had stayed out of reach until 23 September 2026.

Previous Related Events

Mirabai Chanu won an Olympic silver medal in the women's 49 kg category at the Tokyo Olympics.
She finished fourth at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where injury affected her campaign.
Mirabai Chanu won gold in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games in 2026.

Static GK Connection

Weightlifting scoring — the competition total is the sum of the best snatch and the best clean and jerk, not the number of successful lifts.
Asian Games — a multi-sport event held every four years and organised by the Olympic Council of Asia. The first edition was held at New Delhi in 1951.
India as host — India has hosted the Asian Games twice, in 1951 and 1982, both times in New Delhi.
Karnam Malleswari — the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, taking bronze in weightlifting at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Bodyweight categories — weightlifting, boxing and wrestling group athletes by bodyweight so that strength is compared fairly.

India & World Comparison

Weightlifting at the world level is dominated by Asian nations, which is why the Asian Games field is tougher than most world championships in practice. North Korea's Ri Song-gum illustrated the gap at the top by lifting 215 kg, 17 kg more than Chanu's 198 kg in the same category, and by setting world records in all three measures. India's strength in the sport has historically shown at the Commonwealth Games, where the field is narrower. Chanu's Olympic silver at Tokyo and this Asian Games silver are the two results that place an Indian lifter among the genuinely elite. India's overall 2026 Asian Games position — 12 medals with 1 gold, 5 silver and 6 bronze by 23 September — shows a campaign built more on silver and bronze than on gold.

Future Impact

Chanu, at 32, will be judged next on whether she can hold this form through the coming Olympic cycle.
A medal at this level strengthens the case for continued investment in weightlifting at the national level.
India's final position at the 2026 Asian Games will be measured against the 12 medals already won by 23 September.
Ri Song-gum's world records reset the target that Asian lifters, including Indians, must now aim at in the 49 kg class.

🔑 Key Points for Revision

Mirabai Chanu won silver in the women's 49 kg weightlifting on 23 September 2026.
The venue was Nagoya, in the Aichi prefecture of Japan.
Her total was 198 kg — 87 kg snatch and 111 kg clean and jerk.
Gold went to Ri Song-gum of North Korea with 215 kg.
Ri lifted 94 kg in the snatch and 121 kg in the clean and jerk.
Ri's total of 215 kg was 7 kg above the previous world record.
Bronze went to Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana of Indonesia with 191 kg.
The Indonesian lifter recorded 88 kg snatch and 103 kg clean and jerk.
The medal ended India's 28-year Asian Games weightlifting wait.
Karnam Malleswari's silver in 1998 was the previous such Indian medal.
This was Mirabai Chanu's first Asian Games medal.
Chanu is 32 years old and comes from Manipur.
She had finished fourth at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
She holds an Olympic silver from the Tokyo Olympics.
India's 2026 Asian Games tally reached 12 medals — 1 gold, 5 silver, 6 bronze.

🧠 Concept Link (Static GK Deep Dive)

Core Concept: Olympic Weightlifting and the Asian Games

Definition: Olympic weightlifting is a sport of two lifts — the snatch and the clean and jerk — with the ranking decided by the total of the best of each.
Governing Body: the sport is governed internationally by the International Weightlifting Federation, while the Asian Games are organised by the Olympic Council of Asia.
Scientific Principle: the lift depends on explosive power rather than raw strength alone, which is why lifters train for the rate at which force is produced and not only for maximum force.
Link to this event: Chanu's 198 kg total is the sum of an 87 kg snatch and a 111 kg clean and jerk, which shows why the two lifts are always reported separately.
Origin & History: the first Asian Games were held at New Delhi in 1951, and India hosted the event again in 1982.
Key milestone 1: Karnam Malleswari won an Asian Games weightlifting silver in 1998, the last Indian medal in the sport at the Games before 2026.
Key milestone 2: Karnam Malleswari won bronze at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.
Related Events / Bodies: the Olympic Games; the Commonwealth Games, where Indian lifters have historically been strongest; the International Weightlifting Federation, which ratifies world records.
Nodal Ministry / Body: in India, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, with national federations running the sport.
India-specific relevance: weightlifting is one of the few Olympic sports in which Indian women have repeatedly reached the podium at world level.
Global comparison: Asian countries, including China and North Korea, dominate world weightlifting, so the Asian Games field is one of the toughest anywhere.
Data point: Ri Song-gum's winning total of 215 kg was 7 kg above the previous world record in the women's 49 kg class.
Common exam angle: examiners ask the two lifts that make up the total, the venue and year of the first Asian Games, and who ended India's weightlifting medal wait.
Easy memory hook: "87 plus 111 is 198 — snatch, clean and jerk, silver."

❓ Practice MCQs

Q1. Which medal did Mirabai Chanu win in the women's 49 kg event at the Asian Games on 23 September 2026? [Easy]

A) Gold

B) Silver

C) Bronze

D) She finished fourth

Answer: B

Explanation: She won the silver medal with a total of 198 kg, behind Ri Song-gum of North Korea.

Q2. Where was the women's 49 kg weightlifting event of the 2026 Asian Games held? [Easy]

A) Nagoya, in the Aichi prefecture of Japan

B) Hangzhou, China

C) Jakarta, Indonesia

D) Incheon, South Korea

Answer: A

Explanation: The event took place in Nagoya, in Japan's Aichi prefecture, which hosted the 2026 Asian Games.

Q3. What was Mirabai Chanu's total lift in the event? [Moderate]

A) 191 kg

B) 215 kg

C) 198 kg

D) 205 kg

Answer: C

Explanation: Her total was 198 kg, made up of 87 kg in the snatch and 111 kg in the clean and jerk.

Q4. Who won the gold medal in the women's 49 kg weightlifting event? [Moderate]

A) Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana

B) Mirabai Chanu

C) Karnam Malleswari

D) Ri Song-gum

Answer: D

Explanation: Ri Song-gum of North Korea won the gold with a world record total of 215 kg.

Q5. Whose 1998 silver was India's previous weightlifting medal at the Asian Games? [Moderate]

A) Karnam Malleswari

B) P.T. Usha

C) Anju Bobby George

D) Sakshi Malik

Answer: A

Explanation: Karnam Malleswari won the silver in 1998, and no Indian weightlifter had won an Asian Games medal in the 28 years after that.

Q6. What were Mirabai Chanu's snatch and clean and jerk figures? [Tricky]

A) 94 kg and 121 kg

B) 87 kg and 111 kg

C) 88 kg and 103 kg

D) 90 kg and 108 kg

Answer: B

Explanation: She lifted 87 kg in the snatch and 111 kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 198 kg.

Q7. How should Ri Song-gum's winning total of 215 kg be described? [Tricky]

A) An Asian Games record but not a world record

B) Equal to the previous world record

C) A national record only

D) A world record, 7 kg above the previous mark

Answer: D

Explanation: Her total of 215 kg was a world record and stood 7 kg above the previous best in the class.

Q8. What was India's medal tally at the 2026 Asian Games by 23 September? [Tricky]

A) 10 medals

B) 15 medals

C) 12 medals

D) 8 medals

Answer: C

Explanation: India had 12 medals by then — 1 gold, 5 silver and 6 bronze.

📜 Previous Year Question Style (PYQ)

PYQ 1:

In Olympic weightlifting, the competition total that decides the ranking is the sum of which two lifts?

A) Snatch and deadlift

B) Bench press and clean and jerk

C) Deadlift and squat

D) Snatch and clean and jerk

Answer: D

Explanation: The total is the sum of the best snatch and the best clean and jerk, which is how Chanu's 198 kg was arrived at from 87 kg and 111 kg.

PYQ 2:

Consider the following statements:

Mirabai Chanu's silver ended India's 28-year wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal.
Ri Song-gum of North Korea won the gold in the women's 49 kg with a total of 215 kg.
The bronze medal in the women's 49 kg was won by a lifter from Thailand.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A) 1 only

B) 1 and 2 only

C) 2 and 3 only

D) All of the above

Answer: B

Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong because the bronze went to Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana of Indonesia.

PYQ 3:

Match the following:

Mirabai Chanu — a. total of 198 kg
Ri Song-gum — b. total of 215 kg
Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana — c. total of 191 kg
Karnam Malleswari — d. Asian Games weightlifting silver in 1998

A) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-d

B) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b, 4-d

C) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c, 4-d

D) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a, 4-d

Answer: C

Explanation: Chanu totalled 198 kg, Ri 215 kg and Wijayana 191 kg, while Karnam Malleswari's 1998 silver was India's previous medal in the sport at the Games.

✍️ Mains Answer Pointers

Question 1 (150 words): Why is an Asian Games weightlifting medal considered a harder achievement for an Indian lifter than a Commonwealth Games title?

The answer lies in who is in the field. Asian countries dominate world weightlifting, so an Asian Games competition brings together most of the strongest lifters on the planet in each bodyweight class. The Commonwealth field, by contrast, excludes those nations entirely.

The result on 23 September 2026 shows the difference. Mirabai Chanu's 198 kg, made up of 87 kg in the snatch and 111 kg in the clean and jerk, was enough only for silver. Ri Song-gum of North Korea lifted 215 kg, 17 kg more, and set world records in the snatch, the clean and jerk and the total. The bronze medallist from Indonesia was at 191 kg, showing how tight the contest was below the winner.

The 28-year gap since Karnam Malleswari's silver in 1998 is itself the evidence. Indian lifters have won Commonwealth titles repeatedly in that period without breaking through at the Asian level.

The way forward is to treat Asian competition, not Commonwealth competition, as the benchmark for selection and funding.

Question 2 (250 words): Assess India's position in Olympic weightlifting, using the 2026 Asian Games result as a reference point.

Weightlifting is one of the few Olympic sports in which Indian women have reached the podium more than once, and the 2026 Asian Games result helps locate exactly where India stands.

The high point is real. Mirabai Chanu won silver in the women's 49 kg on 23 September 2026 with a total of 198 kg, made up of 87 kg in the snatch and 111 kg in the clean and jerk. She already held an Olympic silver from the Tokyo Olympics, and she had won gold in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games in 2026. Her Asian Games silver ended a 28-year wait, the previous Indian medal in the sport at the Games being Karnam Malleswari's silver in 1998. Malleswari went on to win bronze at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.

The gap is equally clear. Ri Song-gum of North Korea won with 215 kg, 17 kg above Chanu, and set world records in all three measures, her total standing 7 kg above the previous mark. India's success has been carried by individual lifters rather than by depth, and Chanu herself finished fourth at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. India's broader 2026 campaign, at 12 medals by 23 September with only 1 gold, points to the same pattern of near-misses across sports.

The honest assessment is that India has arrived at the elite level in one weight class through one exceptional athlete. Building a second and third lifter of that standard, rather than celebrating a single podium, is the task that follows.

⚠️ Examiner Trap

Trap 1: Students confuse Mirabai Chanu's Olympic silver with her Asian Games silver. The correct fact is that she won an Olympic silver at the Tokyo Olympics, and her first Asian Games medal came only on 23 September 2026.
Trap 2: A common wrong assumption is that the weightlifting total is the heaviest single lift. The reality is that the total is the sum of the best snatch and the best clean and jerk, which is how 87 kg and 111 kg became a total of 198 kg.
Trap 3: Many students miss who ended India's wait and whose record it broke into. Always remember that Karnam Malleswari's silver in 1998 was the previous Indian weightlifting medal at the Asian Games, and that she was also the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, with bronze at Sydney in 2000.

Mirabai Chanu Wins Asian Games Silver in Women's 49 kg, Ends India's 28-Year Weightlifting Wait

What Happened

When & Where

Who Is Involved

Mirabai Chanu — the Indian lifter who won silver with 198 kg. She is 32 years old and comes from Manipur.
Ri Song-gum — the North Korean lifter who won gold with a world record total of 215 kg.
Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana — the Indonesian lifter who won bronze with 191 kg.
Karnam Malleswari — the Indian lifter whose silver in 1998 was the previous Indian weightlifting medal at the Asian Games.
Olympic Council of Asia — the body that organises the Asian Games.

How It Works

Weightlifting has two lifts. In the snatch, the bar goes from the floor to overhead in one continuous movement.
In the clean and jerk, the bar is first brought to the shoulders and then driven overhead in a second movement, which is why heavier weights are lifted in it.
Each lifter gets three attempts at each lift. The best successful attempt in each counts.
The ranking is decided by the total of the best snatch and the best clean and jerk. Chanu's 198 kg is the sum of 87 kg and 111 kg.
Lifters compete within bodyweight categories, here the women's 49 kg class, so strength is compared at similar bodyweight.
A world record can be set separately in the snatch, in the clean and jerk and in the total, which is how Ri set records in all three.

Why It Matters

Sporting angle: a 28-year gap in Asian Games weightlifting medals is unusual for a country that regularly wins them at the Commonwealth Games, so this result closes a specific and long-noticed gap.
Competitive angle: the Asian Games field in weightlifting is far stronger than the Commonwealth field, because China, North Korea and other Asian powers compete. A medal here is a better test than a Commonwealth title.
Career angle: Chanu had already won an Olympic silver at Tokyo, but had never won an Asian Games medal, having finished fourth at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
National angle: the silver was part of an Indian campaign that reached 12 medals at the 2026 Asian Games by 23 September.

Historical Background

Previous Related Events

Mirabai Chanu won an Olympic silver medal in the women's 49 kg category at the Tokyo Olympics.
She finished fourth at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where injury affected her campaign.
Mirabai Chanu won gold in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games in 2026.

Static GK Connection

Weightlifting scoring — the competition total is the sum of the best snatch and the best clean and jerk, not the number of successful lifts.
Asian Games — a multi-sport event held every four years and organised by the Olympic Council of Asia. The first edition was held at New Delhi in 1951.
India as host — India has hosted the Asian Games twice, in 1951 and 1982, both times in New Delhi.
Karnam Malleswari — the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, taking bronze in weightlifting at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Bodyweight categories — weightlifting, boxing and wrestling group athletes by bodyweight so that strength is compared fairly.

India & World Comparison

Future Impact

Chanu, at 32, will be judged next on whether she can hold this form through the coming Olympic cycle.
A medal at this level strengthens the case for continued investment in weightlifting at the national level.
India's final position at the 2026 Asian Games will be measured against the 12 medals already won by 23 September.
Ri Song-gum's world records reset the target that Asian lifters, including Indians, must now aim at in the 49 kg class.

🔑 Key Points for Revision

Mirabai Chanu won silver in the women's 49 kg weightlifting on 23 September 2026.
The venue was Nagoya, in the Aichi prefecture of Japan.
Her total was 198 kg — 87 kg snatch and 111 kg clean and jerk.
Gold went to Ri Song-gum of North Korea with 215 kg.
Ri lifted 94 kg in the snatch and 121 kg in the clean and jerk.
Ri's total of 215 kg was 7 kg above the previous world record.
Bronze went to Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana of Indonesia with 191 kg.
The Indonesian lifter recorded 88 kg snatch and 103 kg clean and jerk.
The medal ended India's 28-year Asian Games weightlifting wait.
Karnam Malleswari's silver in 1998 was the previous such Indian medal.
This was Mirabai Chanu's first Asian Games medal.
Chanu is 32 years old and comes from Manipur.
She had finished fourth at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
She holds an Olympic silver from the Tokyo Olympics.
India's 2026 Asian Games tally reached 12 medals — 1 gold, 5 silver, 6 bronze.

🧠 Concept Link (Static GK Deep Dive)

Core Concept: Olympic Weightlifting and the Asian Games

Definition: Olympic weightlifting is a sport of two lifts — the snatch and the clean and jerk — with the ranking decided by the total of the best of each.
Governing Body: the sport is governed internationally by the International Weightlifting Federation, while the Asian Games are organised by the Olympic Council of Asia.
Scientific Principle: the lift depends on explosive power rather than raw strength alone, which is why lifters train for the rate at which force is produced and not only for maximum force.
Link to this event: Chanu's 198 kg total is the sum of an 87 kg snatch and a 111 kg clean and jerk, which shows why the two lifts are always reported separately.
Origin & History: the first Asian Games were held at New Delhi in 1951, and India hosted the event again in 1982.
Key milestone 1: Karnam Malleswari won an Asian Games weightlifting silver in 1998, the last Indian medal in the sport at the Games before 2026.
Key milestone 2: Karnam Malleswari won bronze at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.
Related Events / Bodies: the Olympic Games; the Commonwealth Games, where Indian lifters have historically been strongest; the International Weightlifting Federation, which ratifies world records.
Nodal Ministry / Body: in India, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, with national federations running the sport.
India-specific relevance: weightlifting is one of the few Olympic sports in which Indian women have repeatedly reached the podium at world level.
Global comparison: Asian countries, including China and North Korea, dominate world weightlifting, so the Asian Games field is one of the toughest anywhere.
Data point: Ri Song-gum's winning total of 215 kg was 7 kg above the previous world record in the women's 49 kg class.
Common exam angle: examiners ask the two lifts that make up the total, the venue and year of the first Asian Games, and who ended India's weightlifting medal wait.
Easy memory hook: "87 plus 111 is 198 — snatch, clean and jerk, silver."

❓ Practice MCQs

Q1. Which medal did Mirabai Chanu win in the women's 49 kg event at the Asian Games on 23 September 2026? [Easy]

A) Gold

B) Silver

C) Bronze

D) She finished fourth

Answer: B

Explanation: She won the silver medal with a total of 198 kg, behind Ri Song-gum of North Korea.

Q2. Where was the women's 49 kg weightlifting event of the 2026 Asian Games held? [Easy]

A) Nagoya, in the Aichi prefecture of Japan

B) Hangzhou, China

C) Jakarta, Indonesia

D) Incheon, South Korea

Answer: A

Explanation: The event took place in Nagoya, in Japan's Aichi prefecture, which hosted the 2026 Asian Games.

Q3. What was Mirabai Chanu's total lift in the event? [Moderate]

A) 191 kg

B) 215 kg

C) 198 kg

D) 205 kg

Answer: C

Explanation: Her total was 198 kg, made up of 87 kg in the snatch and 111 kg in the clean and jerk.

Q4. Who won the gold medal in the women's 49 kg weightlifting event? [Moderate]

A) Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana

B) Mirabai Chanu

C) Karnam Malleswari

D) Ri Song-gum

Answer: D

Explanation: Ri Song-gum of North Korea won the gold with a world record total of 215 kg.

Q5. Whose 1998 silver was India's previous weightlifting medal at the Asian Games? [Moderate]

A) Karnam Malleswari

B) P.T. Usha

C) Anju Bobby George

D) Sakshi Malik

Answer: A

Explanation: Karnam Malleswari won the silver in 1998, and no Indian weightlifter had won an Asian Games medal in the 28 years after that.

Q6. What were Mirabai Chanu's snatch and clean and jerk figures? [Tricky]

A) 94 kg and 121 kg

B) 87 kg and 111 kg

C) 88 kg and 103 kg

D) 90 kg and 108 kg

Answer: B

Explanation: She lifted 87 kg in the snatch and 111 kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 198 kg.

Q7. How should Ri Song-gum's winning total of 215 kg be described? [Tricky]

A) An Asian Games record but not a world record

B) Equal to the previous world record

C) A national record only

D) A world record, 7 kg above the previous mark

Answer: D

Explanation: Her total of 215 kg was a world record and stood 7 kg above the previous best in the class.

Q8. What was India's medal tally at the 2026 Asian Games by 23 September? [Tricky]

A) 10 medals

B) 15 medals

C) 12 medals

D) 8 medals

Answer: C

Explanation: India had 12 medals by then — 1 gold, 5 silver and 6 bronze.

📜 Previous Year Question Style (PYQ)

PYQ 1:

In Olympic weightlifting, the competition total that decides the ranking is the sum of which two lifts?

A) Snatch and deadlift

B) Bench press and clean and jerk

C) Deadlift and squat

D) Snatch and clean and jerk

Answer: D

Explanation: The total is the sum of the best snatch and the best clean and jerk, which is how Chanu's 198 kg was arrived at from 87 kg and 111 kg.

PYQ 2:

Consider the following statements:

Mirabai Chanu's silver ended India's 28-year wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal.
Ri Song-gum of North Korea won the gold in the women's 49 kg with a total of 215 kg.
The bronze medal in the women's 49 kg was won by a lifter from Thailand.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A) 1 only

B) 1 and 2 only

C) 2 and 3 only

D) All of the above

Answer: B

Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong because the bronze went to Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana of Indonesia.

PYQ 3:

Match the following:

Mirabai Chanu — a. total of 198 kg
Ri Song-gum — b. total of 215 kg
Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana — c. total of 191 kg
Karnam Malleswari — d. Asian Games weightlifting silver in 1998

A) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-d

B) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b, 4-d

C) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c, 4-d

D) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a, 4-d

Answer: C

Explanation: Chanu totalled 198 kg, Ri 215 kg and Wijayana 191 kg, while Karnam Malleswari's 1998 silver was India's previous medal in the sport at the Games.

✍️ Mains Answer Pointers

Question 1 (150 words): Why is an Asian Games weightlifting medal considered a harder achievement for an Indian lifter than a Commonwealth Games title?

The 28-year gap since Karnam Malleswari's silver in 1998 is itself the evidence. Indian lifters have won Commonwealth titles repeatedly in that period without breaking through at the Asian level.

The way forward is to treat Asian competition, not Commonwealth competition, as the benchmark for selection and funding.

Question 2 (250 words): Assess India's position in Olympic weightlifting, using the 2026 Asian Games result as a reference point.

Weightlifting is one of the few Olympic sports in which Indian women have reached the podium more than once, and the 2026 Asian Games result helps locate exactly where India stands.

⚠️ Examiner Trap

Trap 1: Students confuse Mirabai Chanu's Olympic silver with her Asian Games silver. The correct fact is that she won an Olympic silver at the Tokyo Olympics, and her first Asian Games medal came only on 23 September 2026.
Trap 2: A common wrong assumption is that the weightlifting total is the heaviest single lift. The reality is that the total is the sum of the best snatch and the best clean and jerk, which is how 87 kg and 111 kg became a total of 198 kg.
Trap 3: Many students miss who ended India's wait and whose record it broke into. Always remember that Karnam Malleswari's silver in 1998 was the previous Indian weightlifting medal at the Asian Games, and that she was also the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, with bronze at Sydney in 2000.