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New Delhi: Tokyo Olympic silver medallist, Mirabai Chanu will step back into the competition platform on Monday, ending a year-long gap from the sport. The 311-year-old lifter who narrowly missed out on a medal at the Paris Games last August, now leads India’s charge at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad, where the hosts are expected to secure a bagful of medals.

For Chanu, this tournament marks more than just a return. It is the beginning of a fresh journey under the new Olympic weight categories for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. After years of dominance in the 49kg division, she has chosen to return to the 48kg class, a category that once brought her both a world title and two Commonwealth Games medals. She hasn’t competed in it since 2018, which makes the comeback all the more intriguing.

Though cutting down a kilo sounds simple but in a sport built on power and precision, every game matters. Chanu herself has admitted that managing the lower weight class won’t be easy but determination has always been her trademark. Under the watch of national coach Vijay Sharma, she has been fine-tuning her technique and working steadily towards the milestone she still craves.

However, the Commonwealth meet is not her ultimate target. Chanu has made it clear that she won’t be going all-out in Ahmedabad with her focus firmly on October’s World Championships and next year’s Asian Games. “I’m not putting all my effort here because my main goal is to peak later. The Asian Games remain my dream, as I don’t have a medal there yet,” she said before the event.

India’s wider medal hopes

Beyond Chanu, India is fielding a full-strength squad with medal expectations across categories. The women’s team includes familiar names like Bindiyarani Devi, who won silver at the last CWG as well as bronze medallists Harjinder Kaur and Lovepreet Singh in the men’s camp. All of them will be eager to add to India’s tally, especially given the history of success at Commonwealth events where traditional heavyweights like China and North Korea don’t compete.

When India last hosted the Championships in 2023, the team finished with 20 medals. With home support once again on their side, hopes are high that this edition will deliver another strong performance.