Goal was to keep Mirabai injury-free: Coach Vijay Sharma
Coach Vijay Sharma reveals the strategic training plan that kept Mirabai Chanu injury-free to secure her long-awaited Asian Games silver medal.
Indian weightlifting icon Saikhom Mirabai Chanu has finally secured the elusive Asian Games silver medal, a feat achieved through a meticulously crafted training strategy designed to prioritize her physical longevity. Following her triumphant return to India after the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, chief coach Vijay Sharma revealed that the primary objective of their preparation was to prevent the injuries that had previously hindered her performance on the continental stage.
A Strategic Shift to Prevent Injury
Speaking in New Delhi, Dronacharya Awardee coach Vijay Sharma explained that the team's approach was heavily influenced by Chanu's past experiences. In previous competitions, injuries had played a decisive role in her results, including a disappointing fourth-place finish at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 where she was forced to withdraw from her final clean and jerk attempt.
"My goal was simply to design a training program that would keep Mira injury-free, and we succeeded in that," Sharma stated. He emphasized that the coaching staff focused heavily on managing her training load to ensure she reached her peak performance exactly when needed, without overextending her body and risking physical setbacks.
The Path to Silver
Chanu's performance in the women's 49kg category was a display of precision and strength. Her journey to the podium involved the following lifts:
- Snatch Attempts: Successfully completed all three attempts at 83kg, 85kg, and 87kg.
- Clean and Jerk: Successfully lifted 107kg and 111kg in her first two attempts.
- Total Weight: A combined lift of 198kg.
While North Korea's Ri Song Gum took the gold with a total of 215kg and Wijayana secured the bronze, the silver medal represents a massive milestone for Chanu. It completes her collection of major international accolades, filling the one gap that had remained in her illustrious career.
A Historic Career Milestone
The 32-year-old weightlifter has now joined an elite group of athletes. With this silver medal, Chanu becomes only the second Indian weightlifter, after Karnam Malleshwari, to win medals across all major international platforms, including:
- Olympic Games
- Asian Games
- Commonwealth Games
- World Championships
- Asian Championships
- Commonwealth Championships
Chanu entered this tournament with significant momentum, having recently secured her third Commonwealth Games gold medal at the Glasgow 2026 edition. This Asian Games success serves as a testament to her resilience and the scientific approach taken by her coaching team to ensure she remained at the top of her game.