Saikhon Mirabai Chanu is an Indian Weightlifter, she represents Indian in 48kg weightlifting category. Mirabai Chanu has won multiple medals in Commonwealth Games and World Championships. Mirabai Chanu is awarded with the Padma Shri Award in 2018 by the Government of India which is the fourth highest civilian award of India. In 2018 the President of India felicitated Mirabai Chanu with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna which is the highest sporting honour of India for her distinguished contribution towards sports.
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu is from the Northern States of Manipur. She was born on 8th August 1994 in Nongpok Kakching Village located in Imphal City which is the capital of Meghalaya. Mirabai’s mother Saikhom Ongbi Tombi Leima is a Shopkeeper and her father Saikhom Kriti Meitei is a Government Employee at the Public Works Department. In her childhood Mirabai used to carry large firewood for cooking with her father which was a hard task to do for her elder brother. It is then when her parents noticed her potential and what she is capable of achieving in her life. Soon Mirabai started practicing the sport in which she was naturally good at, which is Lifting heavy weights. She was only 12 when she started practicing weightlifting.
- Mirabai Chanu won her first medal which was a Silver Medal in Women’s 48 kg weight category at the 2014 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, Scotland also known as Glasgow edition of Commonwealth Games.
- After her first breakthrough in 2014 Commonwealth Games she was determined and bagged a Gold Medal in Women’s 48 kg category in 2017 World Weightlifting Championships held in California, United States of America.
- In 2018 Commonwealth Games also known as Gold Coast 2018 held in Gold Coast, Australia Mirabai won first Gold Medal for India in doing so she also managed to break the game record for her weight category by lifting a total weight of 196 kg (86 kg in Snatch and 110 kg in clean and jerk).
- In the 2019 World Weightlifting Championship held in Pattaya, Thailand Mirabai finished in fourth position. She lifted a total weight of 201 kg (87 kg Snatch and 114 kg Clean and Jerk) which was Chanu’s personal best and created a new national record in the Women’s 49 kg category.
- In 2020 Senior National Weightlifting Championships about four months after the 2019 World Weightlifting Championship Mirabai won a Gold Medal by breaking her personal record with lifting total weight of 203 kg (88kgs in Snatch and 115kg in Clean & Jerk) in Women’s 49 kg category.
- In April 2021, Mirabai won a Bronze medal at the 2020 Asian Weightlifting Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and created a world record by lifting a total weight of 205 kg (86 kg Snatch and 119 kg Clean and Jerk).
- In June 2021, Mirabai became the only woman weightlifter to qualify for 2020 Summer Olympics organised in Tokyo, Japan. Chanu won Silver Medal in Summer Olympics in Women’s 49 kg division by lifting a total weight of 202 kg (87kgs in Snatch and 115kg in Clean & Jerk).
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu has made enormous contributions in the sport of Weightlifting and represented India at National level and set numerous records by winning several medals. We are thankful for her contribution and wish her good luck for her future.
