Mirabai leads India’s weightlifting amid challenges

Indian weightlifting in 2025 revolved largely around one name: Mirabai Chanu. In a season marked by doping scandals, limited senior-level progress and administrative unease, the Olympic silver medallist stood out as the sport’s lone bright star, while a promising crop of juniors offered hope for the future.

Returning to competition after more than a year on the sidelines due to injury, Mirabai showed remarkable resilience. The Tokyo Games silver medallist began her comeback by winning gold at the Commonwealth Championships in Ahmedabad in August. Though the field was not particularly strong, the victory was a crucial confidence booster after her disappointing Paris Olympics campaign in 2024.

She followed it up with a silver medal at the World Championships in Forde, Norway, the most significant Indian weightlifting achievement of the year. Competing in the 48kg category, Mirabai lifted a total of 199kg 84kg in snatch and 115kg in clean and jerk to claim her third World Championships medal. While the much-discussed 90kg snatch continued to elude her, the medal reaffirmed her position as India’s flag-bearer in the sport.

However, new challenges loom. The International Weightlifting Federation once again reshuffled Olympic weight categories, dropping the 48kg class from the Los Angeles 2028 programme. Mirabai will eventually have to move up to the 53kg category, a transition that will demand significant physical and technical adjustment. For now, she remains focused on the 48kg division, with the Asian Games next year firmly in her sights, a competition where a medal has so far escaped her.

Beyond Mirabai, the senior circuit struggled. Indian lifters won medals at the Commonwealth Championships, but these came against modest opposition. At the Asian Championships, performances fell short of podium standards, underlining the gap between Indian lifters and the world’s elite.

Off the platform, the sport continued to battle a serious credibility crisis. India was once again flagged by the World Anti-Doping Agency as the worst doping offender for the third straight year, with weightlifting among the biggest contributors. The issue surfaced starkly at the Khelo India University Games, where multiple lifters reportedly withdrew after the arrival of anti-doping officials.

Amid these concerns, the emergence of junior and youth lifters provided genuine optimism. Young talents such as Koyel Bar, who set two youth world records at the Commonwealth Championships, and Priteesmita Bhoi, a youth Asian Games gold medallist and world record holder, signalled a strong pipeline for the future.

As India looks ahead to the Asian and Commonwealth Games next season, weightlifting stands at a crossroads dependent on Mirabai’s experience, inspired by youthful promise, but urgently in need of reform to overcome its persistent doping woes.