A recurring knee injury has cost India one of its more promising weightlifting medal hopes at Asian Games 2026, with Chanambam Rishikanta Singh forced to withdraw just days before competition began in Aichi-Nagoya.
## The Injury
Rishikanta had carried the knee problem for some time, but still managed to win silver at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow despite the discomfort, producing a Commonwealth Games record snatch lift of 121kg in the men’s 60kg category. Chief coach Vijay Sharma confirmed the injury had not eased enough to risk competing again so soon afterward.
## His Career Background
Born in Manipur and serving as a chief petty officer in the Indian Navy, Rishikanta has represented India across multiple age groups since winning junior bronze at the 2016 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Penang. His Glasgow silver matched the gold medal-winning lift he produced at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad.
## The Impact on India’s Squad
As India’s only male weightlifter selected for these Games, Rishikanta’s withdrawal leaves the country with four women weightlifters in the team, including Mirabai Chanu, but no male representation in the discipline at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
## Why This Matters
Losing a Commonwealth Games medallist to injury just weeks before a major Games represents a genuine blow to India’s medal hopes in weightlifting, a sport where the country has historically found success through individual standout performers rather than broad depth.
## The Bigger Picture
Rishikanta’s withdrawal is one of several late squad changes affecting India’s contingent heading into these Games. Our full breakdown of why Indian athletes have been withdrawn covers the wider pattern across multiple sports.
## The Bottom Line
Competing through pain at the Commonwealth Games ultimately came at a cost, and Rishikanta’s absence from Aichi-Nagoya represents a significant, if understandable, loss for India’s weightlifting ambitions at these Games.