Mirabai Chanu - Biography

Introduction:

Mirabai Chanu, her full name was Saikhom Mirabai Chanu. She is a 27-year-old Indian weightlifter in the 49 kg weight category. During the Olympics of 2k20, Mira won the silver medal. She has won numerous medals in world championships and Commonwealth Games. In recognition of her achievements in sports, India's gov. awarded her the Padma Shri award. Indian government granted Mira the sporting honor of "Major-Dhyan-Chand-Khel-Ratna".

Mira won silver in the 48 kg weight category for women in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, then came back and won gold in the 2018 round of the event held at Gold Coast. She broke many records in her entire journey.

Birth-place and Early Life:

Mirabai was born on August 8, 1994, in Nongpak kakchng, Imphal East, Manipur, India. Chanu described herself as a Sanamahism follower but also said that she worships Hindu deities. Mira's parents realized her potential when she was only 12 years old. When her big brother found it difficult to carry a stacked bundle of firewood, Mira easily carried it to their home. 

Mira started her training at Manipur's Sports Academy. She saw truck drivers carrying sand near her academy then She gave the invitation to the truck drivers to tell their feelings after winning the Olympic medal, and she touched their feet as a symbol of respect.

Career: 

Mirabai Chanu, when she was just a kid, started carrying firewood, but now she's a well-known weightlifter in India. She started weightlifting at a fairly young age. When she was just 11 years old, Mira won her first gold medal in a local weightlifting competition. Mira, During the Tokyo Olympics, a girl that is from east of Manipur's Imphal district made history by winning silver in the Women's 49kg Weightlifting event. Mira started competing globally at teenage age, won many medals, including the National And international Medal and built their fame in Public. Mira was considered a fan favorite in the women's 49 kilograms event at the Tokyo Olympics of 2020.

Olympic-Journey:

In 2016, Chanu was selected for the Rio Olympics in the 48kg category. But she failed to complete the event. She fails to lift 104 kg in her first attempt, and then they try two more times to lift 106 kilograms. But she could not lift the weight on her second and third attempts. Her own best in the clean and jerk is 107 kilograms. But because of her dedication and hard work, she broke Kunjarani's overall record of 190 kg with a combined weight of 192 kg.

Between 2017 and 2021: 

In 2016, when she failed to complete the event, she faced a lot of struggle, and her dreams and hopes died for RIO. But n 2017, her comeback was outstanding. In 2017, when World Championships were held in Anaheim of, California, she won gold in the women's 48 kg group.

She won the 1st gold medal in 2018 for India in Commonwealth Games by carrying an accurate weight of 196 kg, 86 kg in grab, and 110 kg in Clean and Jerk. Mira created the new games record for her weight category by breaking her own record and returning her journey to the medal, and it was also her personal leading effort and dedication. Carrying an exact weight of 199 kg, her confidential best, At the 2019 Asian Weightlifting Championships, she came just close to a bronze medal in the 49-kilogram event. Her win was a total weight carrying of 199 kg, as her grab weight was lower than the 3rd Athlete, who had similar totals.

Mirabai ended up in fourth place in the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships after carrying a total weight of 201 kilograms, 87 kilograms Snatch and 114 kilograms Clean & Jerk. She was in the 49 kg list, her individual best total was created a new record, and also she broke her previous record after a few months, when Mira took gold in the 49 kg category at the 2020 Senior National Weightlifting Championships, lifting 203 kg, 88 kg in grab, and 115 kg in carrying weight. 

She took home a bronze medal in the 2020 Asian Weightlifting Championships that were held in April 2021. For a weight of 205 kg, she lifted 86 kg in the grab and then 119 kg in the lifting, creating a new world record. She's was the first Indian woman Athlete to announced for the 2020 Summer Olympics when she placed 2nd in the total Rankings for the forty-nine-kilogram category in June 2021.

Tokyo Olympic of 2020: 

Mira won the Silver Medal in the 49-kilogram category at the 2020 Olympics in the summer. Mira lifted the weight of 202 kilograms and then became the first Indian athlete to win the silver medal at the Olympics. She's also the second Indian Athlete to win in the Olympics after Karnam Melleswari and the second woman of India after P.V Sindhu because she wins the silver medal and also creates a new record with a gratefully carry the weight of 115kg in clean and jerk, her victory gives India its first Olympic medal at Tokyo Games. After the announcement of the Tokyo Olympics, Chief Minister of Manipur N. Biren Singh declared a reward of Rs 1cr. for Mira, and Indian railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav declared a reward of 2Cr. And promotion and many facilities for Mira.

Mira's Words after winning the Medal in Tokyo:

 "It was as if I were in a dream. I had completely forgotten where I was and that I was standing on the Olympic stage. For a brief moment, everything became blurred. Only when they announced my name and I touched the medal around my neck did I realize I had won silver!" 

"I'm overjoyed!" I'm overjoyed to have won silver. I fought my hardest for the gold, but I'm content with silver. "I failed in 2016 and learned a lot from it about where I need to grow, and that's what brought me here," she says, smiling brightly.

She dialed her mother's number shortly after the medal ceremony. "The gang in Patiala (her national camp friends) contacted me and were dancing in joy," she says.

Her coach, Vijay Sharma, explained that they decided to decrease the burden on her body by lowering her starting weight.

Awards: 

Mira won two major awards from the Indian government first one was Major Dhyan Chand award in 2018. This award is the highest award in the sporting field in India, and she was also awarded by Padma-Shri by the honorable president for her contribution to sports and for making India proud at the National level. This award in 2018 is the highest civilian award in India.

A public vote was taken in which Mira won the BBC athletes award in 2021 by defeating Aditi Ashok, golfer and Boxer Lovina Borgohain, and para shooter Avini Lekhara and PV Sindhu. She was a badminton player Mira defeated everyone for this award.

Rewards: 

After winning the silver medal at the 2020 Olympics, the Indian government, sports associations, and educational businesses announced many rewards for Meera, which are listed below:

• Byjus, an Educational institute, provided 1 crore rupees for Mira.
• Mira received 50 lakhs from the Indian government.
• Mira received one crore rupees from the government of Manipur. And also provided a Civil servant post that is Additional superintendent of Police (ASP) in the state police of Manipur, which is a higher post in police services.
• Mira received two crore rupees from the Railway Ministry of India, and she was also promoted to Frontier railway in the Northeast.
• Mira received 50 lakh rupees from the sports association Board of control for cricket in India.
• She also received 40 lakh rupees from the Indian Association of Olympics.

Other-Rewards:

• Mira received rupees 20 lakh from the Manipur government because she won the gold medal in 2017 in the Championship of World Weightlifting.
• Mira received 10 lakh rupees from the Manipur government because she qualifies for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
• She also received rupees 25 lakhs from the Government of Manipur for enrolling in the 2020 summer Olympics at Tokyo 2020.

Medals: 

Mira won very precious medals in Championship because of her hard work and dedication. There is the list of Medals that Mira won.

• Mira won the silver medal in the 49kg category and achieved second place In Olympics at Tokyo in 2020 
• Mira won a Gold medal in the 55kg category in Singapore weightlifting on February 25, 2022
• Mira won a Bronze medal in the 86 kg category Asian weightlifting championship in 2020 at Tashkent.
• Mira won a silver medal at the commonwealth games at Glasgow in 2014.
• In 2018, Mira won the Gold medal at the commonwealth games at gold coast 2018

Future Goals:  

Recently, Mira was selected for the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth games in the category of 55 kg by securing the gold medal in the Singapore Weightlifting International Competition. She is competing first time in 55 kilograms category. Mira lifted more than 190 kg (105 kg + 80kg) in an uncompetitive field to be on top of the rankings.