Asian Games 2023 Weightlifting: Saikhom Mirabai Chanu's Medal Hopes Crushed After Thigh Muscle Injury

The Olympic silver medallist said she felt pain while warming up before the event started and despite her coach asking her to pull out, she continued as she wanted to win a medal for the country.

"When I was warming up before the snatch section, I felt pain on my thigh, I think deep sheathing hit me. They have put ice and some spray, and will see in India what kind of treatment we will do. I am having pain now also," Chanu said after the event, where she finished fourth.

"It is pain in the glutes and the bones on the right side of the thigh," she added.

An Asian Games medal is the only silverware missing from the Manipuri's decorated cabinet. Chanu had finished ninth in the 2014 edition and was forced to miss the 2018 Games due to a back injury.

"I had trained hard but I could not bring the results because of this pain. I tried my best to win a medal for the country but could not. I am feeling bad.

"I could not take part in the 2018 Asian Games. It was my dream to win a medal in the Asian Games but it is not happening. Now, my target is to do well in the Paris Olympics."

"Pain had started during snatch warm-up. Sir (Vijay Sharma) asked me if I wanted to pull out because it may lead to serious injury. But I continued because I wanted to win a medal," she added.

Chanu lifted 108kg in her first clean and jerk but increased the weight to 117kg with an eye on a medal.

"I was feeling pain but I pushed up the second attempt in clean and jerk to 117kg. If I had lifted 117kg I would have won a bronze medal.

"I passed just one lift (both in snatch and clean and jerk). Had I done 86kg in snatch, I could have gone easier also."

She said no treatment was given in between competitions.

"It is not allowed to give treatment during competition, so we put some tapes on the thigh and did the clean and jerk."