Bhubaneswar: Mirabai Chanu, the weightlifter from Manipur, wins silver in the women’s 49kg category at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday, by opening India’s medal account for this year Olympics.
The 26-year-old weightlifter has turned out to be the second Indian weightlifter who won an Olympics medal after Karnam Malleswari, who had given India the bronze medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. With Chanu’s win the country ends its 21 year’s wait to snatch another medal in weightlifting. With this win, she has successfully drives out the 2016 games where she could not succeed in carrying out a single legitimate lifting.
Chanu marked a successful lift of total 202 kg (87kg+115kg) in the clean and jerk category. However, China’s Zhihui sealed the gold by lifting 210kg (94kg+116kg)with Olympic records in both Snatch and Clean and Jerk. While Aisah Windy Cantika of Indonesia won the bronze with an effort of 194kg (84kg+110kg).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Mirabai Chanu on his official Twitter handle for her sensational victory. The Prime minister’s tweet says, “Could not have asked for a happier start to Tokyo2020! India is elated Mirabai Chanu’s stupendous performance. Congratulations to her for winning the Silver medal in weightlifting. Her success motivates every Indian.
-OdishaAge
