Asian Weightlifting Championships 2026: India Win 10 Medals in Historic Home Campaign
Asian Weightlifting Championships 2026: India Finish with 10 Medals
India concluded their campaign at the Asian Weightlifting Championships 2026 with a total of 10 medals — one silver and nine bronze — in an impressive performance on home soil in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The tournament featured Asia’s strongest weightlifting nations, including China, North Korea, Iran, Bahrain, Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea. Competing against Olympic and world medallists, the Indian contingent delivered several standout performances across the week-long championship.
The 2026 edition also marked only the second time India hosted the Asian Weightlifting Championships after New Delhi in 1982.
A total of 16 Indian lifters represented the country in Gandhinagar.
India’s Medal Winners at Asian Weightlifting Championships 2026
| Athlete | Event | Medal |
|---|---|---|
| Gyaneshwari Yadav | Women’s 53kg Snatch | Silver |
| Komal Kohar | Women’s 48kg Overall | Bronze |
| Komal Kohar | Women’s 48kg Clean & Jerk | Bronze |
| Gyaneshwari Yadav | Women’s 53kg Overall | Bronze |
| Ajith Narayana | Men’s 71kg Overall | Bronze |
| Ajith Narayana | Men’s 71kg Clean & Jerk | Bronze |
| Harjinder Kaur | Women’s 69kg Snatch | Bronze |
| Sanjana | Women’s 77kg Overall | Bronze |
| Sanjana | Women’s 77kg Clean & Jerk | Bronze |
| Sanjana | Women’s 77kg Snatch | Bronze |
Lovepreet Singh Ends Campaign with Personal Best
India failed to add to their medal tally on the final day of competition, but Lovepreet Singh delivered one of the most encouraging performances by an Indian lifter at the championships.
Competing in the men’s 110kg+ category, the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist finished fifth overall with a new personal best total of 386kg.
Lovepreet Singh Results
- Snatch: 174kg
- Clean & Jerk: 212kg
- Total: 386kg
Lovepreet successfully lifted 170kg and 174kg in the snatch before narrowly failing at 177kg on his final attempt.
In clean and jerk, he opened with 205kg and then improved to 212kg before missing 216kg on his final lift.
His total of 386kg was 12kg better than his performance at the senior national championships, showing strong progress ahead of future international competitions.
Two-time Olympic medallist Gor Minasyan of Bahrain won gold in the category with a massive 457kg total.
Komal Kohar Opens India’s Medal Account
India’s campaign started positively through Komal Kohar in the women’s 48kg category.
Competing in place of injured Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu, Komal secured two bronze medals:
- Bronze in Overall Total
- Bronze in Clean & Jerk
Her podium finish gave India an early breakthrough in the competition and highlighted the growing depth in Indian women’s weightlifting.
Gyaneshwari Yadav Wins India’s Only Silver
One of India’s best performances came from Gyaneshwari Yadav in the women’s 53kg category.
She secured:
- Silver in Snatch
- Bronze in Overall Total
Gyaneshwari’s silver medal was India’s only silver of the championships and one of the standout moments of the tournament for the hosts.
Her performance further strengthened India’s reputation in women’s weightlifting at the continental level.
Ajith Narayana Impresses in Men’s 71kg
India’s men’s team received a major boost through Ajith Narayana in the highly competitive 71kg category.
Ajith clinched:
- Bronze in Clean & Jerk
- Bronze in Overall Total
His composed lifting under pressure and strong clean & jerk attempts helped him finish on the podium against elite Asian competition.
Harjinder Kaur Adds Another Medal for India
Experienced Indian lifter Harjinder Kaur contributed to India’s medal tally with a bronze medal in the women’s 69kg snatch category.
Her performance ensured India remained consistently among the medals throughout the championship.
Sanjana Emerges as India’s Biggest Star
The biggest Indian highlight of the championships came through Sanjana in the women’s 77kg category.
She produced a brilliant all-round performance to win three bronze medals:
- Bronze in Snatch
- Bronze in Clean & Jerk
- Bronze in Overall Total
Sanjana’s triple-medal effort was the best individual performance by an Indian athlete at the championships.
Her consistency across all sections demonstrated the growing strength and depth of Indian women’s weightlifting.
India Show Significant Improvement
India’s 10-medal campaign represented a major improvement compared to the previous edition of the Asian Weightlifting Championships.
At the 2025 championships in Jiangshan, India’s two-member contingent failed to win a medal.
The strong performance in Gandhinagar reflected the steady growth of Indian weightlifting, particularly in women’s categories where Indian athletes continue to challenge for continental medals.
Competing against some of the world’s best lifters also provided valuable exposure ahead of major events including:
- Commonwealth Games 2026
- Asian Games 2026
- World Weightlifting Championships
India’s Final Medal Tally at Asian Weightlifting Championships 2026
- Silver medals: 1
- Bronze medals: 9
- Total medals: 10
Full List of Indian Medal Winners
Silver Medal
- Gyaneshwari Yadav — Women’s 53kg Snatch
Bronze Medals
- Komal Kohar — Women’s 48kg Overall
- Komal Kohar — Women’s 48kg Clean & Jerk
- Gyaneshwari Yadav — Women’s 53kg Overall
- Ajith Narayana — Men’s 71kg Overall
- Ajith Narayana — Men’s 71kg Clean & Jerk
- Harjinder Kaur — Women’s 69kg Snatch
- Sanjana — Women’s 77kg Overall
- Sanjana — Women’s 77kg Clean & Jerk
- Sanjana — Women’s 77kg Snatch
India may still be chasing the dominant Asian weightlifting nations, but the performances in Gandhinagar showed encouraging progress and the emergence of a promising new generation of Indian lifters.