CWG 2026: Coach confident India can end 28-year Asian Games drought

India's chief weightlifting coach Vijay Sharma is confident of ending a 28-year Asian Games medal drought, buoyed by a strong showing at the 2026 Commonwealth Games where India has won five weightlifting medals, including one from Bindyarani Devi.

India's chief national weightlifting coach Vijay Sharma believes the country's young lifters are moving in the right direction and expressed confidence that India can finally end its 28-year-long Asian Games medal drought after an encouraging start to the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Speaking after Gyaneshwari Yadav and Bindyarani Devi added two more medals to India's tally on Day 5 in Glasgow, Sharma told ANI, "There is a great need to improve our weightlifting. We will have to work much harder to prove ourselves at the international level. The performance of the young athletes gives us some satisfaction. Gyaneshwari Yadav improved her total by six kilograms today. We are hopeful that we will end the medal drought of more than 25 years at the Asian Games and definitely bring home a medal this time."

Impressive Medal Haul at Commonwealth Games

India have made an impressive start to their weightlifting campaign at the Commonwealth Games, with five of the country's six medals coming from the sport. The medallists so far are Mirabai Chanu (gold), Rishikanta Singh (silver), Muthupandi Raja (silver), Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver) and Bindyarani Devi (bronze), while Jhandu Kumar claimed bronze in para powerlifting. India's last weightlifting medal at the Asian Games came in Bangkok in 1998, when legendary weightlifter Karnam Malleswari won silver. Since then, the country has endured medal-less campaigns at the 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions. The upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, scheduled for September-October 2026, present India's next opportunity to end that drought, with several leading lifters, including Mirabai Chanu, prioritising the continental event.

Bindyarani Devi's Determined Bronze Win

The latest addition to India's medal haul came through Bindyarani Devi, who claimed bronze in the women's 58kg category to earn her second successive Commonwealth Games medal after winning silver at Birmingham 2022. The 27-year-old from Manipur delivered a determined performance, finishing behind Nigeria's Rafiatu Folashade Lawal, who clinched gold with a Commonwealth Games record total of 229kg, and Canada's Ann Sophie Taschereau, who secured silver with 215kg.

Bindyarani opened strongly in the snatch after her coaching staff lowered her first attempt from 85kg to 83kg. She successfully lifted 83kg, 85kg and 87kg, finishing level with England's Eliza Pratt but ahead on countback.

Her clean and jerk campaign began with disappointment as her opening attempt of 110kg was ruled a no-lift following a jury review because of an elbow buckle during the jerk. She responded in style by clearing 112kg on her second attempt to move to an overall total of 199kg. Although she failed to lift 116kg in her final attempt, the 199kg total proved enough to secure the bronze medal.

The podium finish was another significant milestone in Bindyarani's career after overcoming a knee injury in 2023 and transitioning between the 55kg and 58kg weight categories before returning to the Commonwealth Games podium.

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