Mirabai Chanu leads Indian charge at World Weightlifting Championships 2025

FORDE (Norway): Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu is set to lead the 14-member Indian contingent at the upcoming competition, which will take place in Førde, Norway, from October 2 to 11.

Mirabai Chanu, who returned to action after Paris 2024 by winning the 48kg gold at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in August, will carry India’s hopes in Norway.

The 31-year-old ace Indian weightlifter won a gold medal in the 48kg category at the 2017 edition of the World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim. She also won silver in the 49kg category at the 2022 edition of the competition in Bogota, according to the Olympics.com website.

World Weightlifting Championships 2025: Indian squad:

Women: Mirabai Chanu (48kg), Koyel Bar (53kg), Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam (58kg), Nirupama Devi Seram (63kg), Harjinder Kaur (69kg), Vanshita Verma (86kg), Mehak Sharma (86kg+)

Men: Rishikanta Singh Chanambam (60kg), Muthupandi Raja (65kg), Ajith Narayana (71kg), Ajaya Babu Valluri (79kg), Abhishek Nipane (88kg), Dilbag Singh (94kg), Lovepreet Singh (110kg+)

Bindyarani Devi, Nirupama Devi and Mehak Sharma all won silver medals, while Harjinder Kaur and Vanshita Verma bagged bronze at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in August. Bindyarani Devi and Harjinder Kaur also won the silver and bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games 2022, respectively.

Meanwhile, India’s men’s contingent at the World Weightlifting Championships will be led by Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Lovepreet Singh. Lovepreet Singh also won the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships earlier this year where Ajith Narayana and Ajaya Babu Valluri struck gold.

The World Championships will also serve as one of the qualifying events for next year’s Commonwealth Games.
World Weightlifting Championships 2025 schedule:

October 2, Thursday:
Women’s 48kg – 11 pm
October 3, Friday:
Women 53kg – 10:30 pm
Men 60kg – 11:00 pm
October 4, Saturday:
Men 65kg – 8:30 pm
Women 58kg – 11:00 pm
October 5, Sunday:
Women 63kg – 8:30 pm
Men 71kg – 11:00 pm
October 6, Monday:
Women 79kg – 8:30 pm
October 7, Tuesday:
Men 88kg – 8:30 pm
Women 69kg – 11:00 pm
October 8, Wednesday:
Women 77kg – 11:00 pm
October 9, Thursday:
Women 86kg – 8:30 pm
Men 94kg – 11:00 pm
October 10, Friday:
Men 110 kg – 11:00 pm
October 11, Saturday:
Women 86kg+ – 5:00 pm
Men 110kg+ – 7:30 pm. (ANI)