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Mirabai Chanu

Overview

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu is an Indian weightlifter from Manipur who competes in the women's 49 kg category. She is best known for winning the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, becoming only the second Indian weightlifter to win an Olympic medal after Karnam Malleswari. She has also been world champion (2017) and Commonwealth Games champion, and is regarded as one of India's most successful weightlifters.

Key facts

Full name Saikhom Mirabai Chanu
Born 8 August 1994, Nongpok Kakching, Imphal East district, Manipur
Sport Weightlifting
Weight category 48 kg (earlier), 49 kg (current)
Coach Vijay Sharma
Employer Indian Railways (appointed Chief Ticket Inspector, Northeast Frontier Railway)
Major honours Padma Shri (2018), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2018), Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna
Notable medal Silver, Tokyo Olympics 2020 (held 2021)

Background

Mirabai Chanu was born into a modest family in Nongpok Kakching, a village in Imphal East district of Manipur. She is reported to have shown unusual physical strength from childhood, an attribute that drew her towards weightlifting. She began formal training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Imphal under coach Anita Chanu, and was later guided at the senior level by national coach Vijay Sharma. Kunjarani Devi, the veteran Manipuri weightlifter, was an early inspiration.

Career

Early career

Chanu rose through age-group competitions in the late 2000s. She represented India at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in the 48 kg category, winning the silver medal. The same year she competed at the Asian Games in Incheon.

2016 Rio Olympics

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Chanu competed in the 48 kg category but failed to register a valid total after being unable to complete her clean and jerk attempts. The setback became a turning point in her preparation.

2017 World Championship

At the 2017 IWF World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim, United States, Chanu won the gold medal in the 48 kg category with a total of 194 kg. She became the first Indian woman to win a world title in weightlifting since Karnam Malleswari.

2018 Commonwealth Games

At the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018, Chanu won the gold medal in the 48 kg category with a Games-record total of 196 kg.

2020 Tokyo Olympics

At the Tokyo Olympics, held in July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chanu lifted 87 kg in snatch and 115 kg in clean and jerk for a total of 202 kg in the 49 kg category, winning the silver medal. The medal was India's first at the Games and her clean and jerk lift of 115 kg was an Olympic record at the time.

2022 Commonwealth Games

At the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, Chanu won the gold medal in the 49 kg category, lifting a Games-record total of 201 kg.

Other achievements

  • Bronze, 2022 World Weightlifting Championships, Bogotá (clean and jerk).
  • Silver, 2022 Asian Championships, Tashkent.
  • Multiple national records in snatch, clean and jerk, and total in the 48 kg and 49 kg categories.

Timeline

Year Event
2014 Silver, Commonwealth Games, Glasgow (48 kg)
2016 Competed at Rio Olympics; did not finish
2017 Gold, World Championships, Anaheim (48 kg)
2018 Gold, Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast (48 kg); awarded Padma Shri and Khel Ratna
2020 Bronze, Asian Championships, Tashkent
2021 Silver, Tokyo Olympics (49 kg)
2022 Gold, Commonwealth Games, Birmingham (49 kg); Bronze (CJ), World Championships, Bogotá

Awards and recognition

  • Padma Shri (2018) – India's fourth-highest civilian award.
  • Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2018) – India's highest sporting honour, later renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
  • BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year (2021).
  • Honorary appointment as Chief Ticket Inspector with the Indian Railways, recognising her sporting achievements.

Significance

Chanu's success has placed Indian women's weightlifting on the global map and has been widely credited with reviving interest in the sport in India. Her medal at Tokyo, won on the opening day of competition, ended a 21-year gap since Karnam Malleswari's bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in weightlifting for India. She is also seen as a prominent sporting figure from the Northeast, particularly Manipur, which has produced several leading women athletes including Mary Kom and Kunjarani Devi.

References

  • International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) athlete records.
  • Indian Olympic Association official communications on Tokyo 2020.
  • Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India – announcements on national sports awards.
  • Commonwealth Games Federation results archives, 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions.