“A dream come true,” Mirabai Chanu’s heartfelt message to all Indians after winning a silver medal at Tokyo Olympics
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Mirabai Chanu
To win a medal at Olympics is a huge task, as several big names have faltered on the biggest stages of all. Mirabai Chanu headed into the Tokyo Olympics, shouldering several hopes, and she was among the top contenders for a medal in the Women’s 49kg weightlifting event. Despite her struggles in the past few years, the 26-year-old weightlifter battled against all odds, and claimed a silver medal on the first day of Tokyo Olympics.
Mirabai Chanu ended with a total of 202kgs, which was enough to assure her of a silver medal. China’s Z.H. Hou dominated the field, as she set an Olympic record, with a total of 210kgs.
Mirabai Chanu was ranked world number two in her weight category, and as such, a medal was the least expected from her. Although, she shouldered over a billion hopes, yet she was blessed with the prayers of several Indians, who tuned into watch their superstar win a silver medal on the opening day of Tokyo Olympics.
Mirabai Chanu expresses gratitude to all Indians for their tremendous support
Mirabai Chanu took to Twitter in order to express her gratitude to fellow Indians, whose prayers have helped her scale newer heights. “It’s really a dream come true for me. I would like to dedicate this medal to my country and would like to thank the billion prayers of all Indians which were with me during the journey. I like to thank my family, especially my mother for a lot of sacrifices and believing in me,” Mirabai wrote.
“Also special thanks to our government for supporting me, Ministry of Sports, SAI, IOA, Weightlifting Federation of India, Railways, OGQ, sponsors and my marketing agency IOS for their continuous support in this journey. I would like to give special thanks to my coach, Vijay Sharma sir and support staff for their continuous hardwork, motivation and training. Thank you once again entire weightlifting fraternity and my countrymen. JAI HIND,” she added.
Agony in Rio, a persistent shoulder injury, and finally ‘glory’ in Tokyo
Mirabai Chanu had a forgetful Rio Olympics, as she failed to record a successful attempt in the clean and jerk category. She bounced back in style in the coming few years, winning the Gold at World Championships in 2017 and Commonwealth Games in 2018.
Despite winning several medals on the biggest stages, Mirabai Chanu continued to struggle with a persistent shoulder and back injury. She travelled to USA last year in November-December to treat her back injury, and flew to St. Louis to get relief from her shoulder injury.
Mirabai Chanu’s glory at Tokyo Olympics has not been a straight path to success, but it has involved several ups and downs. However, determination, passion, and a clear vision of your goal helps one to eventually achieve their dreams, which has been the case with Mirabai Chanu.
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Nirmit Mehta
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