India secured third place in the women’s team standings and fifth in the men’s team standings at the Asian Weightlifting Championships 2026, which concluded on Sunday at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
The championship, organised by the Indian Weightlifting Federation, was held from May 11 to 17 and featured 172 athletes from 30 countries, including 97 men and 75 women.
The competition featured eight women’s and seven men’s bodyweight categories, with participation from more than 20 nations in the women’s section and over 15 in the men’s section.
China topped both the women’s and men’s team standings. In the women’s category, China finished first with 578 points, followed by Chinese Taipei with 491 points, while India placed third with 487 points. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and South Korea completed the top six.
In the men’s standings, China led with 593 points, followed by North Korea with 478 points and Uzbekistan with 409 points. Chinese Taipei finished fourth with 392 points, India fifth with 379 points, and Turkmenistan sixth with 344 points.
China also dominated the overall medal tally with 21 gold, 12 silver and eight bronze medals, while North Korea finished second with 18 gold, 11 silver and one bronze medal.
India ended the championship with 10 medals — one silver and nine bronze. The event also witnessed several record-breaking performances, with 27 Asian records and 25 world records set during the competition.
Individual honours went to Ri Suk, who was named the women’s best lifter with 1013.191 ROBI points in the 63kg category, and HE Yueji, who won the men’s best lifter award with 1052.189 ROBI points in the 65kg category.
The final day featured the women’s 86+ kg category, followed by the closing ceremony attended by officials from the Asian Weightlifting Federation, international delegates, athletes, coaches and sports administrators.
Ashwani Kumar, CEO of the Indian Weightlifting Federation, said: “The successful hosting of the Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships 2026 in Gandhinagar marks a proud moment for Indian weightlifting and Indian sport. The championship showcased exceptional standards, several world and Asian records and remarkable participation from the continent’s finest athletes.”
“We are grateful to the international technical officials, volunteers and the state government for their tremendous support in making this championship a grand success. India’s athletes also displayed tremendous fighting spirit and delivered commendable performances on home soil,” he added.
IANS
