Indian weightlifting ended 2025 in a familiar but complicated place encouraged by results, energised by a new generation, yet aware of the hard truths that continue to shadow the sport.
It was a year that offered reassurance that the system is producing lifters of international quality, while also underlining the distance India still needs to travel to consistently challenge Asia’s very best.
At the centre of the story once again stood Mirabai Chanu. Years may pass, categories may change, but Indian weightlifting still measures itself against her standard. Her silver medal at the World Championships in Norway was not just another podium finish; it was a reminder of her longevity and relevance in a sport that demands relentless physical and mental renewal. Returning to the world stage after an Olympic cycle is rarely smooth, yet Mirabai showed the kind of composure that has defined her career.
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What stood out was not just the medal, but the method. Her clean and jerk remains among the best in the world, executed with a confidence that few can match. The snatch, long considered her relative weakness, continues to limit her ceiling, but even there she showed signs of stability rather than struggle. The gap to gold was sizeable, but silver at this stage of the cycle was a meaningful marker of where she and India stand.
Away from the spotlight of the podium, several Indian lifters quietly delivered solid top-ten finishes at the World Championships. These were not headline-grabbing performances, but they mattered. Ajith Narayana, Nirupama Devi, Muthupandi Raja and Lovepreet Singh all showed they belong at this level. Their totals may not yet threaten world records, but consistency at major championships is a currency Indian weightlifting has often lacked. In 2025, it was at least being earned.
If the World Championships offered perspective, the Commonwealth Championships in Ahmedabad provided clarity. On home soil, India did what it was expected to do dominate. Gold medals across multiple weight categories, backed by depth in almost every division, reaffirmed India’s regional supremacy. More importantly, these results secured early qualification routes for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, allowing athletes to plan rather than chase.
The real significance of Ahmedabad, however, lay beyond the senior podium. The junior and youth performances were impossible to ignore. Records fell, margins widened, and a generation announced itself with confidence rather than caution. When junior totals begin to rival senior benchmarks, it signals more than talent it signals a pipeline beginning to function as intended.
Names like Sairaj Pardeshi and Bedabrat Bharali may still be unfamiliar outside weightlifting circles, but within the system, they represent the future. Their lifts were not flashes of promise; they were statements of readiness. Equally encouraging was the emergence of young women lifters, continuing a tradition India has built carefully over the past decade. The youth medals at the World Championships in Lima reinforced that sense of momentum. These were not developmental outings disguised as exposure trips. Indian lifters stepped onto global platforms and left with medals, proving that age is no longer a limiting factor when preparation is right.
Yet, for all the optimism, 2025 also forced uncomfortable conversations back into the open. Doping remains the sport’s most persistent and damaging problem. India’s position in global anti-doping reports continues to undermine genuine success, and weightlifting remains a significant contributor to that perception. The federation’s assurances about increased testing and education may be valid, but perception in international sport is slow to change.
For a sport already under scrutiny from the global governing bodies, this is not a side issue it is existential. Hosting major events, bidding for credibility, and protecting athletes who compete cleanly all depend on how decisively this issue is addressed.
Adding to the complexity is the shifting landscape of weight categories. With the international federation restructuring classes and the Olympic programme narrowing further, lifters like Mirabai Chanu face career-defining transitions. Moving up a category is not merely a matter of adding bodyweight; it requires rethinking technique, timing and long-term load management. How effectively India manages these transitions will shape the next Olympic cycle.
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Looking ahead, 2026 looms large. Hosting the Asian Championships offers both opportunity and exposure. On one hand, it provides Indian lifters the comfort of familiar conditions and strong home support. On the other, it brings the continent’s best directly into India’s backyard including nations that currently operate at a different performance level.
The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will likely deliver medals; the Asian Games in Japan will deliver reality checks. Indian weightlifting must learn to embrace both without losing balance. In 2025, the sport did not transform overnight. But it did take steps in the right direction. The medals mattered. The juniors mattered more. And the conversations that surfaced about integrity, depth and transition may matter most of all.
Indian weightlifting is no longer searching for hope. It is searching for sustainability.
