Ajith Narayana Wins Double Bronze as India Shines in Asian Weightlifting Meet

India’s impressive run at the ongoing Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships continued on Thursday as Ajith Narayana produced a remarkable performance to clinch two bronze medals in the men’s 71kg category, further strengthening the country’s growing reputation in continental weightlifting.

Competing against some of Asia’s strongest lifters in Gandhinagar, Ajith secured bronze in both the clean & jerk and overall standings with a combined lift of 314kg . The Indian lifter registered 140kg in snatch and delivered a decisive 174kg clean & jerk effort to finish on the podium in a high-quality field.

South Korea’s Won Ju Ri dominated the category to win gold with a massive total of 351kg , while China’s Jian Chen claimed silver after lifting 335kg overall.

Ajith’s medal-winning effort marked another important milestone for Indian weightlifting, especially at a time when the country is building a stronger talent pool ahead of upcoming global events, including the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. His performance also highlighted the steady rise of Indian male lifters in middle-weight categories, an area traditionally dominated by China, Korea, and Central Asian nations.

The Tamil Nadu lifter has been steadily emerging as one of India’s most promising weightlifters over the past two years. Ajith had earlier won gold at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships with a total lift of 317kg , a breakthrough result that established him as a serious contender at the international level.

His domestic form has also been exceptional. Earlier this year at the IWLF National Championships , Ajith lifted 320kg and broke the national snatch record in the 71kg category. Before moving into the 71kg division, he had already created multiple national records in the 73kg category during 2024, including a 178kg clean & jerk and a total lift of 318kg .

The ongoing Asian Championships hold special significance for Indian sport as the country is hosting the prestigious continental competition for the first time in more than four decades. Being held at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gandhinagar , the tournament has attracted 172 athletes from 28 countries , making it one of the largest international weightlifting events staged in India in recent years.

Ajith became the third Indian medallist of the championships, continuing the hosts’ encouraging campaign. Earlier, Komal Kohar opened India’s medal tally with a bronze medal in the women’s 48kg category on Monday. On Wednesday, Gyaneshwari Yadav added to India’s success by winning a silver and a bronze medal in the women’s 53kg category.

India’s consistent podium finishes at the championships are being viewed as a positive sign for the future of the sport in the country, with several young lifters now beginning to make an impact on the continental stage.