Page 42 - The Inidian EYE 073021

SPORTS JULY 30, 2021 | The Indian Eye 42

how training in us helped Mirabai Chanu

clinch silver at tokyo games

Our Bureau world record in Asian Cham-

New Delhi pionships and as a result, she
qualified for Tokyo Olympics.
fter winning a silver In May also, our tour was sanc-
medal at the Tokyo tioned and we went to the US for
AOlympics, weightlifter training. In the US, we trained
Mirabai Chanu on Monday said without taking any tension.
that her decision to go to the US “The second benefit was the
to get trained before the Tokyo doctor support that we got in the
Olympics played a big role in her US during the training phase.
being able to win a medal. If TOPS wouldn’t have sent us
Chanu on Monday returned to the US in a day, maybe we
to India after a sensational show wouldn’t have performed that
in the ongoing Tokyo Olympics. well,” Coach Sharma added.
The weightlifter had opened Indian Weightlifting Federa-
India’s medals tally on Satur- tion’s (IWLF) secretary-gener-
day as she bagged a silver in the Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu after winning a silver medal al Sahdev Yadav also said that
Women’s 49kg category at To- at the Tokyo Olympics, in Tokyo (ANI) training in the US ahead of the
kyo International Forum. “The Games helped Chanu to be in
decision to go to the US had a the groove.
big role in me winning a medal “If we had missed the chance
at the Olympics. There was a to travel to the US our chanc-
time when all flights were shut- es of winning the medal would
ting down to the US because have been bleak. Chanu was
of the pandemic. But SAI and suffering from injury and had
Prime Minister Narendra Modi pain in shoulders and the doctor
helped us get the ticket and I was helped and it finally paid off,”
able to reach there. I was able said Sahdev
to train in the US. I got all the “When she was being treated
desired support. I want to thank in Patiala, I discussed in TOPS,
everyone for their support. The and then everyone gave a nod to
Target Olympic Podium Scheme send Chanu to the US,” Sahdev
(TOPS) helped me to train to said. The IWLF secretary-gen-
the best of my ability and I had eral said that Chanu had bagged
all the best facilities,” Chanu the bronze at the Asian Champi-
said after returning to India. Mirabai Chanu arrives at the Delhi airport from Tokyo on Monday. (ANI) onship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
“It was quite challenging. It in April this year.
was our dream to win an Olym- the competition. China’s Zhihui second Indian weightlifter to win Meanwhile, Mirabai Chanu
pic medal. We started our prepa- Hou bagged gold with a total of an Olympic medal after Karnam on Wednesday said that the feel-
ration in 2016, I missed out on 210kg and created a new Olym- Malleswari bagged bronze in the ing of meeting family after a span
a medal in Rio Olympics and I pic Record while Indonesia’s 69kg category at the 2000 Syd- of two years is beyond words.
changed the training pattern af- Windy Cantika Aisah grabbed ney Games when the weightlift- Chanu returned to her home-
ter Rio Olympics. We (Chanu bronze with a total of 194 kg. ing arena was opened to women town of Imphal on Tuesday and
and her coach Vijay Sharma) “We did a lot of work in the for the first time. she is now spending some time
have dedicated the last 5 years to snatch, I was confident in that Chanu’s decision to head with her family. The weightlift-
Tokyo Olympics and sacrificed part of the event. We did a lot to the US to train helped the er had won a silver medal at the
everything for my goal. We did a of training. China is strong in weightlifter perform well at the Tokyo Olympics. “This feeling of
lot of hard work, and we made that department, but I was able ongoing Tokyo Games, accord- meeting my family after a long
a lot of sacrifices and this is why to challenge my opponents. The ing to her coach Vijay Sharma. span of 2 years is beyond words.
we have been able to achieve experience was very nice, the Target Olympic Podium Scheme, I’m grateful to each one of you
this feat,” she added. dream has been fulfilled, the hard is a flagship program of the Min- for showing faith in me and sup-
Chanu had lifted a total of work that I did for the last five istry of Youth Affairs and Sports porting me. Thank you, Ema
202 kg (87kg in snatch and 115kg years has paid off,” she added. which provides assistance to In- and baba for all the sacrifices
in clean and jerk) during her With this monumental silver dia’s top athletes. “That training you made for me to reach this
four successful attempts across medal, Chanu has become the in the US resulted in Chanu’s level,” Mirabai Chanu tweeted.

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