Following silver by Mirabai Chanu Manipur erupts in celebration: Marking a momentous first win for India on the opening day of the Tokyo Olympics 2020, ace weightlifter Mirabai Chanu bagged a silver medal in the 49 kg category, stirring nationwide jubilation. As the only Indian woman weightlifter at the global games, her victory is made significantly sweeter.
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"I'm very happy that I've won the medal. The entire country was watching me and they had their expectations, I was a little nervous but I was determined to give my best... I worked really hard for this," Chanu was quoted saying after her silver win. She adds she tried her best to win the gold, which went to China’s Zhihu Hou, but settled for silver. More on her win here.
Amid the nation's cheers for 26-year-old Chanu, the loudest hurrahs are coming from Manipur, her home state.
Videos have surfaced on Twitter of people from Chanu's family, friends, neighbourhood - with an abundance of little children with hands folded in prayer - witnessing the historic moment she bags the silver.
For Mirabai Chanu Manipur Elated: Another Weightlifting Woman Inspiration From State
"She has made us and the whole country proud of her," Chanu's parents Saikhom Tombi and Saikhom Kriti said on her win.
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The 26-year-old Olympian said she tried her best for gold but had to settle for silver. "The entire country was watching me and they had their expectations, I was a little nervous but I was determined to give my best...I worked really hard for this." Read more here.
From a young girl who collected firewood to an Olympic winner, Chanu has come a long, hard way to realise her dreams, becoming a standing icon for all the young girls of her home state who aspire towards sports.
With this win, Chanu joins trailblazers like Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu and Kunjarani Devi - her towering predecessors - who led in creating space and recognition for the prowess and potential of women weightlifters from Manipur.
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