Mumbai, Sept. 23 -- Mirabai Chanu Saikhom has an endearing quality. Even before the lift is completed, she always breaks out into a smile.

It was much the same on Wednesday at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Centre. Most of her opponents would have their faces twisted in a grimace with teeth clenched in concentration. Mirabai though, would not resist the urge to break out the grin.

She would follow it up with a bow to the judges with her hands folded. But there was something different this time. The smile would soon disappear. The expression became stern, the eyes focused, and the walk to the backroom measured and purposeful. At the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, she meant business.

For all that she has achieved - a three-time World Cha...