CWG 2026: Mirabai Chanu urges Indian weightlifting squad to handle pressure

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Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu has advised the Indian weightlifting contingent to remain calm despite high expectations at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The tournament is set to begin on July 23 in Glasgow. 

Weightlifting events will take place from July 26 to 30 at the SEC Armadillo, where the two-time CWG gold medallist will contest the women’s 48kg division.

The Indian squad features returning medallists Bindyarani Devi (58kg), Harjinder Kaur (69kg), and Lovepreet Singh (+110kg), alongside debuting athletes like Rishikanta Singh, Ajaya Babu, and Dilbag Singh. Addressing the pressure on debutants and the nation’s high medal expectations, Chanu urged the Indian athletes to stay grounded in their training routine.

“I tell the whole team to stay relaxed. Everyone feels pressure, especially those who are competing for the first time. The boys and girls competing for the first time also feel pressure. On top of that, everyone in India expects more medals from weightlifting this time. So, there is pressure, but we will try our best to keep the pressure aside and perform the way we have trained. If we give a good performance on stage, then everyone can definitely win a medal in weightlifting. But as for the rest, who knows what will happen on that day? We’ll see. But the whole team is doing well, and we will give our all.” Mirabai Chanu said to ANI.

Mirabai Chanu shares her mantra for international success 

The 31-year-old star, a silver medallist at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and three-time CWG medal winner, encouraged newcomers to approach the competition like any event rather than letting the stage pressurise them.

“Some are new and haven’t participated in many international competitions. But I try to tell them that the games are the same. It’s not like the Games are different from Championships. If they think of them as different, it will create more pressure. So, I tell them that we have to compete just like we do on every stage, in every competition, whether it’s the Commonwealth, World, or Asian Championships. We have to fight the same way. There’s no need to think or do anything extra. That’s how I tell them to stay relaxed and work on everything with a relaxed mind,” she concluded.

(With inputs from ANI)

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