Mirabai Chanu became India’s first athlete to win a medal at the ongoing Tokyo 2020. Mirabai won the silver medal, in 49kg weightlifting, to become the first Indian to win a medal in the sport after a 21-year-long hiatus. She had secured herself a silver medal the moment she lifted a total of 202 kg (87kg+115kg).
Following her efforts, she was lauded by everyone back home, including the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, President of India Ram Nath Kovind, etc. She has now become a household name in the country and was given an unreal and hero’s welcome on her way back home, in Manipur. While she is relishing the fruits of her labour, her struggle period wasn’t an easy one. Nonetheless, her zeal to succeed led her to return with a medal at Tokyo 2020 and the athlete is enjoying the much-deserved attention and support from her countrymen nationwide.
Mirabai’s journey wasn’t an easy one. Like every athlete, she underwent several obstacles, trained hard, managed her minimal finances somehow to excel in her sport. In an interaction with Hindustan Times, the 26-year-old Chanu recalled how she was helped by many — including various truck drivers — in her journey. The weightlifter revealed she was given free rides to training camps by many truckers and she wants to repay them in any way possible.
“I wanted to see the truckers who provided me regular lifts from home to the training centre and seek their blessings. They really helped me during my hard times of training. I am looking for those sand-carrying truckers so that I can try to extend whatever help they may require now,” Chanu told Hindustan Times.
On the other hand, Chanu’s brother — Saikhom Sanatomba Meitei — told Olympics.com, “Our parents would give her Rs10-20 for her journey. The village is very small and almost everyone knows everyone else. Early morning, trucks used to leave from the market square. We would know which of them is going towards her training centre and would send her with them. She never complained about it. She would go alone every day.”
For the unversed, Chanu has become the second Indian weightlifter to claim an Olympic medal. She has joined Karnam Malleswari, who had bagged bronze in the 69kg category at the 2000 Sydney Games.
