India Weightlifting squad at Asian Games 2023: Full team, Schedule, Medal chances

Mirabai Chanu and Bindyarani Devi are the two Indian Weightlifters at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, looking to win a first ever gold medal for the country or the first medal of any colour in 25 years. Both will be in action on Saturday, September 30.

Despite Mirabai Chanu's Olympic medal, an Asian Games medal in Weightlifting has remained elusive for the last quarter of a century for India because of the high level of competition within Asia. Some of the strongest lifting nations in the world, like China and North Korea, are allowed to field two entries in some weight categories in the Asian Games, thus making the continental competition even harder than Olympics.

India Weightlifting Team

Mirabai Chanu (Women's 49 kg)

Bindyarani Devi (Women's 55 kg)

Weightlifting Schedule at Asian Games

Mirabai Chanu - 30 September, Saturday (12:30 pm to 2:30 pm IST)

Bindyarani Devi - 30 September, Saturday (4:30 pm to 6:30 pm IST)

India at Asian Games 2023: Medal chances in Weightlifting

Mirabai Chanu PB - 205 kg | Asian record - 213 kg | Possible finish - 3rd to 6th

Mirabai Chanu's category has grown increasingly competitive in the last year, such that her dream of winning India's first ever gold looks a distant possibility. Mirabai's personal best is 205 kg, but she has struggled to go beyond the 200 kg mark since the Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, the two lifters from China - Jiang Huihua and Hou Zhihui - have consolidated their marks above 200 kgs. Two lifters from Thailand have also breached the 200 kg mark. North Korea's Ri Song Gum, the defending champion at the Asian Games, has not been in international action for a few years, but should be in the 200+ zone as well.

If Mirabai can make a comeback to her best, she might win a silver or bronze medal. If however, she remains in the 190s, as she has in 2023, she will have to be content with a place in the top five.

Bindyarani Devi PB - 202 kg | Asian record - 227 kg | Possible finish - 5th to 8th

Bindyarani Devi won a silver medal at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in May 2023 with a total lift of 194 kg. Her personal best is 202 kg, lifted at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. It is unlikely that she will be in the medal places at the Asian Games, as all of China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have weightlifters who have crossed 210 kg personal bests. North Korea has also crossed 205 kg PBs.

Bindyarani is likely to be in a skirmish with lifters from Thailand, Indonesia, Turkmenistan and South Korea for a spot in the top five.

Performance at 2018 Asian Games

At the 2018 Asian Games, India had sent four weightlifters. The best finish that had been achieved was a 5th-place finish by Ajay Singh.

India at Asian Games: Weightlifting Records

Indian weightlifters have won a total of 14 medals in the history of the Asian Games - 5 silver medals and 9 bronze medals. However, the last of these medals came as far back as 25 years ago, when Karnam Malleswari won a silver medal in 1998.

Silver medallists - Kamineni Eswara Rao (1951), Bharti Singh (1990), Jyotsna Dutta (1990), Karnam Malleswari (1994, 1998)

Bronze medallists - Dandamudi Rajagopal (1951), Tara Singh (1982), Gian Singh Cheema (1982), Gurunathan Muthusamy (1986), Chhaya Adak (1990), Kunjarani Devi (1990, 1994), Neelam Setti Laxmi (1994), Bharti Singh (1994)