It made an excellent picture. Mirabai Chanu Saikhom stood on the top of podium, all smiles and holding aloft the gold medal on the opening day of the weightlifting competitions of the XXI Commonwealth Games here on Thursday.
The 23-year-old from Manipur, the reigning World champion in women’s 48kg, improved upon her personal bests in snatch, clean and jerk and in the total setting a new Commonwealth and Commonwealth Games records in all the three sequences.
It gave India its first gold medal, just a few hours after P. Gururaja had opened the medal hunt with a silver in the men’s 56kg category, finishing behind Malaysia’s Izhar Ahmad. The only disappointment was the failure of Raja Muthupandi. He finished sixth in the men’s 62kg class.
By the time Mirabai came on stage Canadian Amanda Braddock was in the lead with the best of 76kg. The Indian started with 80kg and cleared it effortlessly.
The Indian thereafter asked for 84kg and then 86kg, which she cleared in the third attempt, giving her a lead of 10kg. Her previous best was 85kg, at the last year’s World championships in Anaheim, United States.
In the clean and jerk too, she started off with 103kg, progressed to 107kg and rounded off her campaign with 110kg, for an impressive total of 196kg. Mauritian Marie Hanitra Roilya and Sri Lankan Dinasha Gomes followed the Indian with totals of 170kg and 155kg.
Mirabai was elated: “My aim now is improve upon this performance at the Asian Games and prepare myself for the Tokyo Olympics. It gives me pleasure that I have won India’s first gold medal in these Games,” she said.
In the morning, P. Gururaja, who had begun his sporting career as a wrestler but was forced to change over by his coach, stood the test in the men’s 56kg category well to claim the silver medal.
The Indian Air Force lifter started with 107kg in snatch. His 111kg, however, could only place him in the third spot behind Izhar Ahmad who capped up a Games record-breaking performance of 119kg and Sri Lankan Lakmal Chaturanga who managed 114 kg. Gururaja, after being on the verge of elimination in the 138kg clean and jerk, kept his cool to clear it in his third attempt to zoom into the second place, when Chaturanga could do only 134kg. This gave Gururaja a total of 249kg and the silver medal. Ahmad won with a total of 261kg, yet another Games record.
The Indian was thankful to his coach. “I thought my second attempt in clean and jerk was good but the judges turned it down on account of the slight movement of my hand. I also missed the services of my physio and this left me with a bad back. However, I am grateful to god for this wonderful gift, which will also help me perform better in the coming years.”
'Mirabai is a true Manipuri girl'
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Sports Minister Letpao Haokip have congratulated Mirabai Chanu for her performance.
Mr. Biren said, "Mirabai is a true Manipuri girl" while Mr. Haokip added that the entire State is proud of her. Social welfare Minister Ms. Nemcha Kipgen also congratulated the weightlifter.
Opposition leader and former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said that Mirabai had brought laurels once again. He said that his government had also patronised the sportspersons. Boxer Mary Kom was also promoted to the post of the police superintendent. He also said that during his tenure, land had been allotted for the construction of sports university in Manipur.
Women in Mirabai's home district Thoubal celebrated her spectacular performances with dances. They said that they want a high post in the police ddepartment for her so that she could stay in the State. She is currently employed in the railways.
When Mirabai was selected for Padma Shree from the field of sports, the Manipur government had given her Rs. 20 lakhs.
(With inputs from Iboyaima Laithangbam)
