The IWF World Championships 2025, scheduled from October 2–11 in Førde, Norway, marks a pivotal moment for Indian weightlifting.
With new bodyweight categories in place and the Olympic cycle towards Los Angeles 2028 officially underway, this championship will serve as a crucial benchmark for India. The Indian squad features a mix of proven veterans and emerging talents, with the women once again carrying the weight of history and expectation.
A Historic Backdrop: India’s Medal Story
India has won 17 medals at the IWF World Championships 3 gold, 9 silver, and 5 bronze –lall of them courtesy of women.
First Medal (1989): Kunjarani Devi’s silver set the tone for India’s entry into the global stage.
World Champions: Karnam Malleswari (1994, 1995) and Mirabai Chanu (2017) remain India’s only world champions.
Multiple Medalists: Kunjarani Devi (7 silvers between 1989–1997), Karnam Malleswari (2 gold, 2 bronze), Mirabai Chanu (1 gold, 1 silver) & Neelam Setti Laxmi (1 silver, 1 bronze).
This record highlights both India’s potential and its gender imbalance women have dominated, while men are yet to open their medal account.
The 2025 Squad
Women
1.Mirabai Chanu (48kg): The face of Indian weightlifting, Chanu remains India’s best hope for a medal. With an Olympic silver (Tokyo 2020) and a world title (2017) already in her cabinet, she continues to be the anchor. At the selection trials, she managed a 192kg total (85kg Snatch + 107kg Clean & Jerk) slightly below her best but still competitive on the global stage. Her ability to handle pressure will define India’s medal chances.
2.Bindyarani Devi (58kg): A consistent performer with Commonwealth success, Bindyarani thrives in the clean and jerk. The 58kg class is new under IWF’s restructured categories, which may provide her with an opening.
3.Nirupama Devi (63kg): Making her debut at this level, Nirupama represents India’s push for depth in mid-weight categories. She will likely gain experience rather than target podium finishes.
4.Harjinder Kaur (69kg): A strong domestic force, Harjinder is a serious prospect. Her 223kg total at Nationals 2024 (98kg Snatch + 125kg C&J) shows her capability to finish inside the world’s top 10 if she adapts well to the weight cut from 71kg to 69kg.
5.Vanshita Verma (86kg): Part of the heavier category experiment, Vanshita’s entry is about exposure and development.
6.Mehak Sharma (+86kg): Competing in the super-heavyweight class, she faces the toughest field globally. Like Vanshita, her role is to gain big-stage experience.
Men
1.Rishikanta Singh (60kg): Known for his explosive snatch, he holds national records and will look to push India closer to a breakthrough.
2.Muthupandi Raja (65kg): Balanced across both lifts, Raja recently won silver at the Commonwealth Championships. His consistency makes him one of the most reliable male lifters in the team.
3.Narayana Ajith (71kg): Arguably India’s best male prospect, Ajith lifted 318kg (140kg + 178kg) at Nationals, breaking Achinta Sheuli’s record. If he can touch 310kg+ consistently, he has the potential to enter the global top 8.
4.Valluri Ajaya Babu (79kg): Selected for his senior experience despite a lower total than junior lifter Bedabrat Bharali. His recent 319kg total is solid but leaves room for improvement.
5.Dilbag Singh (94kg): Faces the stiffest test in a stacked category where global contenders lift around 380–390kg. His target will be building international exposure.
6.Lovepreet Singh (+110kg): India’s super-heavy entry, competing more for developmental reasons than podium expectations.
The Ones Who Missed Out
Some promising juniors did not make the cut:
•Koyel Bar (youth world record holder) – Many felt she deserved a senior berth, though federation strategy may fast-track her later.
•Bedabrat Bharali – Recently lifted 326kg (145kg + 181kg) at junior level, better than Ajaya Babu’s senior total. His omission reflects IWLF’s strict adherence to senior compliance and anti-doping protocols.
•Sairaj Pardeshi & Parv Chaudhary – Talented in heavier youth categories, both remain part of the long-term plan.
Their absence sparked debate, but selection rules prioritize proven senior performance and anti-doping compliance over raw numbers.
India’s medal history at the Worlds has been written entirely by women. This places immense pressure on the current female squad. Chanu remains the lone realistic medal contender, but the emergence of Bindyarani and Harjinder suggests India is building a wider base.
For Vanshita and Mehak, the focus is less on immediate results and more on long-term exposure to high-intensity international fields. If they can register competitive totals and gain confidence, India could broaden its medal scope by 2027–2028.
Indian men are yet to win a medal at the World Championships. The new weight categories present both opportunity and challenge. Narayana Ajith is the standout his domestic totals indicate potential to reach international competitiveness. Raja and Rishikanta could deliver top-12 finishes, but heavyweights like Dilbag and Lovepreet face a huge gulf compared to world standards.
The 2025 Championships, therefore, will likely be about benchmarking setting clear numbers to chase in the next three years rather than podium expectations.
Strategic Outlook: Towards LA 2028
1.Reduce Medal Dependence on Chanu, While she remains India’s flagbearer, India must invest in Bindyarani and Harjinder to ensure multiple medal threats by 2028.
2.Fast-Track Juniors, Lifters like Bharali, Bar, Pardeshi, and Chaudhary must be integrated into the senior anti-doping pool earlier to avoid missing out on key events.
3.Men’s Benchmarking, Ajith, the aim should be crossing 320kg+ consistently; for Raja and Rishikanta, to stabilize near top-10 ranks; for heavyweights, to narrow the vast international gap.
4.Scientific Support, Nutrition, recovery, and category management (especially for Harjinder and Ajith who are adjusting bodyweights) will be crucial.
The Indian squad for the 2025 IWF World Championships represents both continuity and change. Mirabai Chanu continues to embody India’s medal hopes, but the emergence of lifters like Harjinder Kaur and Narayana Ajith indicates that the next generation is ready to challenge.
The exclusion of juniors like Bharali has sparked debate, but it also underlines the structural discipline the federation wants before exposing youngsters to senior pressures.
For India, Førde 2025 is not just about medals but about setting new benchmarks, expanding medal potential beyond one athlete, and preparing systematically for Los Angeles 2028.
If this balance between immediate success and long-term development is achieved, Indian weightlifting could finally see both men and women standing together on the global podium in the near future.
