Lifter Mirabai Chanu won a silver medal in the 49kg category at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday, lifting a total of 202kg (87kg+115kg) to better Karnam Malleswari's bronze in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, hailed Saikhom Mirabai Chanu's gold-medal winning effort at the Weightlifting World Championship in Anaheim, USA.
With this, Chanu became only the second Indian weightlifter to win an Olympic medal after Karnam Malleswari bagged bronze in the 69kg category at the 2000 Sydney Games.
Mirabai Chanu might have won a silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics, but but the Indian weightlifter has already set sights on going a step further in the Paris Games in 2024.
Former world champion weightlifter Mirabai Chanu's proposal to train in Paris ahead of the Olympic Games was on Monday cleared by the government.
Ace Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu is gearing up for an 'Olympic-level' competition at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where she expects to face the strongest lifters from China, North Korea, and Thailand, making it her toughest challenge yet.
Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu will not attempt the coveted 90kg snatch at the Commonwealth Games, instead prioritising the upcoming Asian Games where she aims to secure her first medal in the competition.
Mirabai Chanu fell on her back to injure herself while finishing fourth in the women's 49kg weightlifting event.
Mirabai Chanu secured a silver medal in the women's 49kg weightlifting category at the Asian Games in Nagoya, ending her 12-year pursuit for this elusive honour. This marks India's first Asian Games weightlifting medal since 1998. Chanu expressed immense relief and joy, calling it a dream fulfilled and her life complete. She also discussed her future plans regarding the 2028 Olympics' 53kg category.
'It is positive news not just for us but for the nation. She is training in America and I am closely watching the way she is working and I have no doubt that she will fight for a gold medal.'
Born to a poor family in Nongpok Kakching village about 20 kilometres from the capital Imphal, the youngest among six siblings, Mirabai would go to collect firewood from a nearby hill with her brother Saikhom Sanatomba Meitei, who is four years her elder.
Mirabai Chanu, who has been recuperating from hip tendonitis she suffered during the Asian Games in September last year, has all but qualified for the Paris Olympics.
The 23rd Commonwealth Games have commenced in Glasgow, marking the city's second time hosting the event. This edition is significantly scaled down with a reduced budget and fewer sports and athletes, following Victoria's withdrawal. King Charles III is inaugurating the Games, which will feature 123 Indian athletes, though India's medal tally is expected to be impacted by the exclusion of key sports. India is set to host the 2030 CWG in Ahmedabad.
A memorandum to visiting Union Home Minister Amit A Shah, stated: 'Paramilitary forces might have been reluctant to prevent Kuki terrorists from attacking innocent civilians,' the news agency IANS reported.
Mirabai Chanu talks about training in lockdown and her plans to return to her old fitness regime.
President Droupadi Murmu extended her congratulations to Indian athletes, including Mirabai Chanu, for their impressive medal-winning performances on Day 4 of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. She highlighted significant achievements such as Chanu's silver in weightlifting, ending a 28-year drought, and historic bronze medals in shooting and soft tennis.
India is sending a 125-member contingent to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with established stars like Neeraj Chopra, Mirabai Chanu, and Lovlina Borgohain, alongside rising talents such as Aryan Nehra and Gurindervir Singh, expected to lead the nation's medal charge across 13 disciplines.
Mirabai Chanu's medal hopes swell after North Korea's withdrawal from Olympics
While weightlifter Mirabai Chanu bagged silver, badminton star PV Sindhu and boxing legend Lovlina won bronze in the Tokyo Olympics. The trio graced the cover of the latest edition of the leading fashion magazine.
Chanu has consistently improved in the section to stay in contention for medals at top events.
The gold went to China's Hou Zhihui with an effort of 210kg (94kg+116kg), who created Olympic records in all three categories (snatch, clean and jerk and Total).
Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Mirabai Chanu are among 12 prominent sportspersons vying for a spot on the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) Athletes Commission. The elections, scheduled for November 3, will select 10 members for the 2026-2030 term. The article also details the electoral process, eligibility criteria, and mentions the upcoming election for eight Sportspersons of Merit (SOMs).
India's Saikhom Mirabai Chanu turned in a highly disappointing performance at the Rio Olympics, as she could not get an overall total in women's 48kg after failing to lift the weight in any of her three attempts in clean & jerk section. In a field of 12 lifters, she was one of two who did not finish (DNF) her event.
Commonwealth Games silver medallist Gyaneshwari Yadav is preparing for the Asian Games, aiming to surpass her personal best of 199kg. She plans to leverage her CWG experience despite facing tough international competition from powerhouses like China and South Korea. Yadav also acknowledges the upcoming domestic challenge from Mirabai Chanu and Bindyarani Devi in the 53kg category but remains confident and inspired by Chanu.
The former world champion ended with a total lift of 201kg (88kg+113kg), which is far from her personal best.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya felicitated the Indian weightlifting team for their strong performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where they secured one gold, six silver, and one bronze medal.
The Glasgow Games will be held across four venues. India's campaign opens with two bowls matches before the opening ceremony later in the day.
Mirabai Chanu's show was below her personal best.
After the high of the Tokyo Games, India's Olympic silver medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has turned her focus on winning a second world championship title and is ironing out the chinks in her armour ahead of the event.
The reigning Commonwealth Games champion is struggling with an unidentified lower-back problem since May and is yet to begin full-fledged weight training.
Commonwealth silver medallist Rishikanta Singh, India's only male weightlifter in the Asian Games squad, has been ruled out of the upcoming continental event due to a knee injury, leaving the team with only four female lifters.
India's weightlifting team, led by Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu, is set to compete at the Commonwealth Games. Despite a reduced squad due to doping violations, India aims to continue its dominant performance in the sport, benefiting from the absence of strong competitors like China and North Korea. Chanu, a strong gold medal contender, plans a cautious approach with the Asian Games in mind.
Indian weightlifters, including Olympic medallist Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and silver medallist Lovepreet Singh, received a hero's welcome upon their return to New Delhi after a successful Commonwealth Games campaign, where they secured eight medals.
Harjinder Kaur finished ninth in the women's 69kg weightlifting event at the Asian Games, marking a disappointing end to India's campaign. Her combined effort was 204kg, significantly behind gold medallist Song Kuk-hyang who set new world records. India concluded the weightlifting events with one silver medal won by Mirabai Chanu.
The 24-year-old Manipuri lifted 82kg in snatch and 110kg in clean and jerk to finish on top of the podium after recovering from the injury, which required extensive physiotherapy.
Chanu, who is employed with the Indian Railways, lifted 85kg in snatch and 109kg in clean and jerk to total an impressive 194kg in the women's 48kg, setting a new national record in the process.
Top Indian athletes like PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, Neeru Dhanda, and Harmanpreet Singh have been nominated by their respective National Sports Federations to the electoral college for the Indian Olympic Association's Athletes Commission polls on November 3. The article details the nomination process, eligibility criteria, and the composition of the new Athletes Commission, noting the absence of some federations and the exclusion of outgoing members like Mary Kom.
This article provides a detailed schedule of Indian athletes participating in various events on the fourth day of the Commonwealth Games. It covers boxing, gymnastics, lawn bowls, swimming, and weightlifting, highlighting key matches and finals.
Mirabai Chanu will enter Birmingham, as title favourite.
India's ace weightlifter Mirabai Chanu stated that she has been competing in the 48-49kg category and will need to move to the 53kg category for the 2028 Olympics due to a change in weight classes. She expressed confidence in her ability to participate in the 2028 event.
