Commonwealth Games: Golden chance for the next generation to step out of Mirabai’s shadows

The five-day weightlifting competition of the Commonwealth Games beginning at the Scottish Event Campus here on Sunday is packed with world-class talent.

The biggest international star is Canada’s Maude Charron in the women’s 63kg category. A two-time Olympic medallist and World Championships medallist, Charron is one of the most accomplished athletes in the field.

Like India’s Mirabai Chanu, the 33-year-old is chasing a third consecutive gold medal at the Games. Only three men — Precious McKenzie, Louis Martin and David Morgan — have performed the feat. No woman has achieved the distinction since women’s weightlifting was introduced in the 2002 edition. Before then, the sport was contested only by men. In fact, in the 2002 CWG, two Indians — Kunjarani Devi and Sanamacha Chanu — had won the gold.

Another marquee name is England’s Emily Campbell in the women’s +87kg division. Campbell is a two-time Olympic medallist, having won silver at Tokyo 2020 and bronze at Paris 2024 (+81 kg). The 32-year-old is among the finest heavyweight lifters in the world.

And there is Australia’s Eileen Cikamatana, the defending champion in 86kg, who remains a formidable rival.

There are a handful of Indian men and women who can push themselves for a gold if not a medal. Bindyarani Devi (58kg), Nirupama Devi Seram (63kg), Gyaneshwari Devi (53kg), Ajay Babu (79kg) and Raja Muthupandi (65kg) represent the next generation of Indian lifters eager to make it to the podium.

India’s chief coach Vijay Sharma picked Gyaneshwari, Ajay and Raja as young lifters capable of winning medals. “They (youngsters) should do well. Let’s see,” he had earlier told The Hindu.

For India, the Glasgow Games should be more than a medal hunt. It is an ideal and a great opportunity for the next generation of lifters to move out of Mirabai’s shadows, prove themselves on the international stage and ensure the country’s rich legacy continues.