July 24, 2021. Mark your calendar. If everything goes as planned, this will be a Red-Letter Day in the history of Indian weightlifting. That's how Saikhom Mirabai Chanu is prepping herself for the postponed Tokyo Olympics. And she believes, 'impossible is nothing'. (More Sports News)
Already billed as one of India's brightest hopes at the Summer Games, the 26-year-old Mirabai can actually set the tone for the Indian contingent, which will feature a host of medal prospects in shooting, wrestling, boxing, etc. Mirabai, along with women's 10 m air rifle and men's 10 m air pistol shooters will open India's campaign, a day after the opening ceremony at the XXXII Olympiad.
The buzz is, she is sure shot for a medal in the women's 49kg event. And she has the belief.
"I have big hopes for the Olympics. There is a self-belief. And I always believe that hard work always translates into success. Yes, I am confident of winning a medal. I will give my best," Mirabai told Outlook.
With little over three months to the start of the Tokyo Games, Mirabai set a new world record ‘as promised’ at the Asian Weightlifting Championship in Tashkent on April 17.
READY TO STRIKE
Few days before leaving the National Institute of Sport (NIS) in Patiala for the continental competition, the former world champion declared that she is ready to strike gold at the Olympics.
"I can cross the 90-mark in Snatch, and I have been touching 119 in Clean and Jerk. So, my target is also to create a new world record," the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist said.
Days later she shattered the Clean and Jerk record by lifting 119kg in her third and final attempt. Her progression was -- 113kg, 117kg then, eventually 119kg, which is one kg more than Chinese lifter Jiang Huihua's previous record.
Chinese lifters Jiang Huihua, left, and Hou Zhihui with India's Saikhom Mirabai Chanu in Tashkent. Photo - Twitter (@mirabai_chanu)
But the gold level Olympic qualifying event in Uzbekistan gave her a reality check. She still needs to conquer her inner demons. Two failed attempts in Snatch almost ruined her Tashkent trip. She somehow lifted 86kg in the final attempt.
Mirabai Chanu’s combined lift of 205kg was good enough for a finish third, but way behind the two Chinese -- Hou Zhihui 213 kg (96 and 117) and Huihua 207 (89 and 118). By the way, Zhihui's Snatch lift and combined total are two new world records.
It means that Chinese lifters remain the ones to beat. But at Tokyo International Forum on July 24, there will be only one Chinese lifter to contend, probably Zhihui. A country can send only one lifter per category to Olympics.
KOREAN FACTOR
Also, with the withdrawal of North Korea, Mirabai Chanu's medal hope swells. As things stand, the Indian lifter is fourth in the pecking order. Ahead of her are the two Chinese and Ri Song-gum of North Korea.
Besides, Thailand and Malaysia have been banned from sending weightlifters to Tokyo because of multiple doping offences. It’s not a secret that lifters from Southeast Asian countries have traditionally performed well in the lower weight categories. So, all these seemingly fortuitous turns of events may well end up giving India a rare podium finish.
Mirabai admitted that North Korea's absence will make one less medal contender in the fray but the confident Manipuri said that she doesn't care who she is competing against -- Chinese or North Koreans.
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"My sole focus is to give my best performance and win a medal for my country. It really doesn't matter if they compete at the games or not," said Mirabai, who's one of the faces of Adidas’ 'Impossible Is Nothing' campaign.
If Mirabai manages to win a medal at the Tokyo Games, she will be the second Indian to do so in weightlifting after Karnam Malleswari, who won a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
STAYING CLEAN
Mirabai Chanu conceded that like other athletes, she too had doubts when the first wave of coronavirus hit India and the Games was postponed. She was confined to the NIS centre and have had limited training. And there was a nagging back pain, which needed treatment in the United States. Now, she is raring to go.
After months of 'deloading' due to coronavirus pandemic, Mirabai is finally regaining her lost ground. All she needs to do is remain injury-free, and stay clean.
Weightlifting is one of the most dope-tainted Olympic sports. India has faced its share of shame too. In fact, an unnamed national record-holder was provisionally suspended after testing positing for a banned substance before the team's departure for Tashkent. She was set to be a part of the team for the Asian Championship.
Talking about doping, Mirabai said that everyone at the Indian Weightlifting Federation is making a concerted effort to make the sport clean.
She also stressed on the importance of guiding upcoming lifters, who are mostly from rural areas. But the Padma Shri awardee is happy that India now has Khelo India and other 'grassroot games' to help groom athletes.
“India has seen legendary lifters (like Nameirakpam Kunjarani Devi, Malleswari, etc) and still, the best weightlifters are from rural areas, usually from poor backgrounds with limited access to proper training facilities,” the 2017 world champion said.
