Nagoya, Japan, September 24, 2026: Star Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu made a heartfelt plea requesting the government to consider her for the Arjuna Award after finally fulfilling her long-standing dream of winning a medal at the Asian Games.
Chanu, 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, won a historic silver medal in the women’s 49kg category at the Aichi-Nagoya Games on Wednesday, September 23.
She then told Indian media: “I would like to request that the government give me the Arjuna Award. I will be very happy. The Arjuna Award is the biggest. I don’t have it. I want it. I will be very happy if the government considers my achievement and awards it to me.”
The 32-year-old posted a total of 198kg, with a snatch of 87kg and a clean and jerk of 111kg, finishing second behind North Korea’s Ri Song-gum who totalled 210kg.
Chanu’s wait for an Asian Games podium place finally finished with the medal. She missed the 2018 Jakarta Games through injury, and finished agonisingly close, fourth, at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, battling a thigh injury in her clean and jerk attempts.
Her silver medal in Japan ended India’s 28-year wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal. She became the country’s first medallist in this discipline since Kamran Malleswari had won silver at the 1998 Bangkok Games.
The Asian Games silver also completed Chanu’s collection of medals from the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, adding another landmark to her decorated career.
Chanu received the Khel Ratna Award, the nation’s highest sports award, in 2018. The Arjuna Award was the nation’s highest sporting honour until the introduction of the Khel Ratna in 1991-1992.