Saikhom Mirabai Chanu has created history at the Tokyo Olympics. Daughter of India has won the first silver medal for India in weightlifting in Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Mirabai Chanu has won a silver medal in the 49 kg women’s weightlifting event and with this India has managed to open its account in the medal tally on the very first day of the Olympic Games. After winning the medal,Chanu returned to Manipur to a hero’s welcome on Tuesday. Chanu landed at the airport in the afternoon, after which she was escorted to the city convention centre in Imphal where she was given a grand reception by the state government. During the felicitation event,an award of Rs 1 crore and the appointment letter to the post of Additional Superintendent of Police (Sports) was handed over to her by the CM. Well, that grand reception was well deserved. Today, in this article, we’ll know about this new legend.
Who is Mirabai Chanu?
Mirabai Chanu, a resident of Imphal, Manipur, was born on 8 August 1994 in Imphal. Chanu was fond of archery in her childhood and she also wanted to make a career in it. But after the 8th standard, she had inclined towards weightlifting and then she decided to proceed with weightlifting. Chanu started taking interest in weightlifting after getting inspired by Imphal’s weightlifter Kunjrani.
The journey from local to Olympics
Mirabai Chanu has certainly made India’s name bright on the international stage, but it was not so easy for her to achieve this position.She had to struggle a lot to fulfil her dreams. During this entire journey, Chanu got the full support of his family. Despite the financial condition of the family was not good, her parents, facing every difficulty, fulfilled Chanu’s dietary needs and many other needs.
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Chanu won her first gold medal in a local weightlifting competition at the age of 11. Later, she began her international weightlifting career by competing in the World and Asian Junior Championships, where she won medals in both.
Mirabai Chanu has won many medals for the country so far. In the year 2014, she won the silver medal in the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow. In the qualifying match of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Chanu made her place in the Rio Olympics by defeating her ideal weightlifter Kunjrani. Mirabai won the gold medal in the 48 kg category at the 2017 World Weightlifting Championships. At the same time, Chanu also won the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games in 2018. During the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent in April 2021, Mirabai Chanu set a new world record by lifting 119kg in women’s 49kg clean and jerk.
Decorated with awards
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh honoured Chanu and gave her a prize of Rs 20 lakh. She was also b the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India’s highest civilian sports honour in 2018. Chanu was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2018.
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