Snatching glory: The best female weightlifters from India

India has produced some fine women's weightlifters over the years.

The likes of Mirabai Chanu, a world champion and Olympic silver medallist, and Karnam Malleswari, a bronze medallist from Sydney 2000, have made their marks on the world weightlifting stage.

The two, however, aren't the only ones with several making their mark in events like the Commonwealth Games, Asian and world championships among others.

Here's a look at some of the best Indian women weightlifters.

Karnam Malleswari

Karnam Malleswari's name is etched in history as the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Olympics. At the Sydney Olympics in 2000, she lifted 110kg and 130kg in the snatch and clean and jerk categories, respectively, for a combined total of 240kg that saw her clinch the bronze medal. It was also a start of a new dawn for Indian weightlifting.

The Padma Shri awardee, who came to be known as the 'Iron lady', became a household name in India. Karnam Malleswari's four sisters also trained in the discipline but Malleshwari was the one to break through on the biggest stage. The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awardee also clinched four medals at the world championships, including two gold and two silver medals at the Asian Games.

Kunjarani Devi

Manipur-based Kunjarani Devi is one of the most decorated Indian weightlifters. She, however, never won a gold medal at the mega-events. After launching her career in 1985, Kunjarani Devi competed in the 44, 46 and 48kg categories. The former captain of the Indian police team was also a national champion in all three categories.

Kunjarani Devi won seven medals at the world championships, settling for a silver on each of the occasions. She also bagged two bronze at the Asian Games. Kunjarani Devi's remarkable performances also earned her the Arjuna Award in 1990 and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 1996-1997.

Neelam Setti Laxmi

Neelam Setti Laxmi came to the fore at the international level in the 69kg category. Although she didn't have a rich haul of medals, Neelam Setti Laxmi recorded some remarkable performances from 1995 to 2002, across major events.

Neelam Setti Laxmi bagged a silver medal at the 1995 world championships with a total lift of 175kg in the snatch and clean and jerk events. She also settled for a silver at the 1997 world championships.

At the 2002 Commonwealth Games**,** Neelam Setti Laxmi won three silver medals, one each for finishing second in the snatch category, clean and jerk category and the combined total. The 2002 Manchester Games was the last edition to award separate medals for each of the categories.

Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu

Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu has come a long way since beginning her weightlifting career in 2006. She, incidentally, considers her state-mate and senior Kunjarani Devi as her source of inspiration.

Sanjita Chanu first entered the spotlight at the 2014 Commonwealth Games as she secured a gold medal in the 48kg clean and jerk event with a total lift of 173kg. She also came with two kgs of breaking the Games record set by Augustina Nkem Nwaokolo in 2010.

In the coming years, Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu went up to the 53kg category and continued her fine run at the 2018 Commonwealth Games with another gold medal finish. She secured the top podium spot with a lift of 192kg, which was 10kg clear of Papua New Guinea's Olympic weightlifter Dika Toua.

Renu Bala Chanu

Renu Bala Chanu, coming from a humble background, scaled new heights in weightlifting. She began her career in weightlifting after being recognised at a talent hunt camp organised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Imphal in 2000. And even though Renu Bala Chanu hails from Imphal, Manipur, she represented Assam at the national level and became the third weightlifter from the state to win a medal after Soniya Chanu and Sandhya Rani Devi.

Renu Bala Chanu's first major achievement, however, came at the 2006 Commonwealth Games where she won a gold medal in the women's 58kg category. She excelled in the next edition as well, bagging her second successive gold at the 2010 Commonwealth with a total lift of 197 kg. Unfortunately, Renu Bala Chanu's kidney's stopped functioning properly after the 2010 Games, robbing her of a few good years in the sport.

Mirabai Chanu

Mirabai Chanu is a serial winner in the truest sense.

The Manipuri ace became the first Indian women's weightlifter to win a silver medal at the Olympics after clinching a podium spot in the women's 49kg category at Tokyo 2020.

The 2017 world champion is also a two-time Commonwealth Games champion, having won the gold medals at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. A world championships silver medal in 2022, a CWG silver in 2014 and a bronze at the Asian championships in 2020 complete her impressive medal cabinet.

Mirabai Chanu also held the world record in clean and jerk in the 49kg category, courtesy a 119kg lift at the 2020 Asian championships. It was broken later.