Mirabai Chanu is an Indian weightlifter who won the silver medal in the women’s 49kg category at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Wiki/Biography
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu was born on Monday, August 8, 1994 in Manipur (age 29; as of 2023). Her zodiac sign is Leo. When she was a child, because there was no weight training center in the village, she had to run about 44 kilometers every day for weight training. She started weight training in 2008 at the Kumaran Park Sports Center in Imphal.
appearance
Height (approximately): 4’11”
Weight (approximately): 48kg
Hair color: dark brown
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Her father Saikhom Kriti Meitei works in the Public Works Department. Her mother, Saikohm Ongbi Tombi Leima, is a shopkeeper. She has five siblings, including a brother named Saikhom Sanatomba Meitei, and two sisters named Saikhom Rangita and Saikhom Shaya.
Mirabai Chanu and her parents
Mirabai Chanu and her family
sign
Mirabai Chanu’s autograph
Profession
At the age of 11, she competed in her first regional weightlifting competition. She won a gold medal in the competition. In 2011, she participated in the International Youth Championships and won a gold medal. Mirabai won the best weightlifting award at the National Junior Championships (2013) in Guwahati. At the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow (2014), she lifted a total of 170kg and won a silver medal in the women’s 48kg category. On August 31, 2015, Mirabai was appointed as Senior Ticket Collector of Indian Railways. In 2016, she qualified for the Rio Olympics in the women’s 48kg category, but failed to win a medal in the event. In an interview, she said of the incident,
I was very depressed after the Olympics. It took me a lot of time to get over the disappointment. I even thought about quitting the sport and stopping training. The comments on social media, the criticism of my coach really hurt me. “
In 2017, she was selected for the women’s 48kg category at the World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim, USA. After nearly 22 years, she won the gold medal for India with a total score of 194 kg. Previously, Indian weightlifter Kanam Malleswari won the gold medal at the 1994 World Weightlifting Championships and the gold medal at the 1995 World Weightlifting Championships. Mirabai then represented India at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and won India’s first weightlifting gold medal in the women’s under-48kg category. category. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Chanu became the second Indian weightlifter after Indian weightlifter Kannan Malleswari to win a medal at the Olympics. On January 15, 2022, the then Chief Minister of Manipur N Biren Singh appointed Mirabai as Additional Inspector General of Police (Sports). She also received a check worth Rs 10 million as a reward.
Mirabai Chanu was appointed Additional Inspector General of Police (Sports) by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh with her parents in Imphal on January 15, 2022
On February 25, 2022, she qualified for the 55kg category at the Commonwealth Games (2022). She qualified after winning a gold medal at the Singapore Weightlifting International Competition. She trained under Indian coaches Vijay Sharma and Aaron Horschig.
Mirabai Chanu and her coach Vijay Sharma
Mirabai Chanu and her coach Aaron Horschig
medal
Commonwealth Games
- Gold – Gold Coast (2018)
Mirabai Chanu wins gold at Commonwealth Games 2018
- Gold Medal – Birmingham (2022)
Mirabai Chanu wins gold at Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022
World Championship
- Silver Medal – Bogotá, Colombia (2022)
asian championship
Olympic Games
- Silver Medal – Tokyo Olympics (2020)
Mirabai Chanu wins silver medal at Tokyo 2020
National Games
Record
At the Asian Championships in Tashkent in April 2021, Chanu set a record with a clean and jerk of 119 kilograms.
Awards
- Rajiv Gandhi Kyle Ratner Weightlifting Award 2018
Mirabai Chanu wins Rajiv Gandhi Khair Ratna Award
- BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2021
Facts/Trivia
- In her spare time, she likes to travel, listen to music, and play basketball.
Mirabai Chanu plays basketball
- She follows a non-vegetarian diet.
- One of her favorite dishes is a Manipur stew called Kangsoi.
- In an interview, she stated that her ideal is Indian weightlifter Kunjarani Devi. she says,
When I was a child and saw Kunjarani Devi for the first time, the sport looked so appealing and I was confused as to how she could lift such a heavy weight. So I told my parents I wanted to do it, and they reluctantly agreed. In our state, you can compare Kunjarani to weightlifting and Sania Mirza to tennis. Every Manipur girl wants to be like her. I saw Kunjarani Devi’s performance at the 2004 Olympics and dreamed of reaching the podium. “
- Chanu had to miss his sister Saya’s wedding in order to participate in the World Weightlifting Championships (2017). In an interview, she said of the incident,
Everyone in the family was upset about my decision to miss my sister’s wedding. On November 12th, I came to California ready to fight because I wanted to erase the bad memories of my disappointing Rio Olympics. This piece of gold is the best wedding gift I gave to my sister. “
- After winning a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, her first wish was to eat Domino’s pizza. Subsequently, Domino’s India officials promised Chanu free pizza for life.
- On July 24, 2021, the then Chief Minister of Manipur N Biren Singh announced a reward of Rs 10 million to Chanu who won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Later, while talking to Chanu via video call, Biren Singh said,
The state government will give you a sum of Rs 1 crore. You will no longer collect your tickets at train stations and on trains. I have a special position reserved for you. In the evening I will meet with the Honorable Minister of the Interior. I won’t reveal any more details now, leaving it as a surprise for you. “
- In 2021, she was appointed as the brand ambassador of Indian football club North East FC.
Mirabai Chanu appointed as NEROCA Club Brand Ambassador
- That same year, she appeared on the cover of the October edition of Vogue magazine.
Mirabai Chanu appears on the cover of Vogue magazine
- In 2021, Mirabai was selected as the face of adidas India’s ‘Stay in Play’ campaign.
Mirabai Chanu in adidas print ad
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education