Muristek
Olympics medallist Saikhom Mirabai Chanu will move from 49kg to 55kg at CWG
Vinayak Padmadeo
Olympics silver medallist Saikhom Mirabai Chanu is a rare breed among elite Indian athletes. As with any athlete who needs to cater to their 'selfish' need to stay ahead of the competition, Mira will not bat an eyelid if she has to lose an arm and a leg in order to finish top of the podium. She yearns for the yellow metal.
Coach Vijay Sharma is optimistic about her chances. photos: Mirabai ChanuHowever, she is also a team player, one that the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) is lucky to have.
So, when the IWLF asked Mira to move up from her weight of 49kg — in which she won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics — to 55kg for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she hesitated only 'a second or so' before saying yes. The soft-spoken Manipuri agreed to the change despite knowing that the jump in weight will make it tough for her.
"Good thing with Mira is that she trusts us, so when the news was broken to her she agreed straightaway," chief coach Vijay Sharma said.
The federation took the decision thinking the team had a better chance with Mira in the 55kg category as opposed to Sorokhaibam Bindiyarani Devi. Bindiya finished second behind Nigeria's Adijat Olarinoye at the Commonwealth Championships last year. The coaches thought that Bindiya was weaker than the Nigerian lifter, especially in snatch.
The switch puts Mira in a precarious position. She was practically assured of a gold medal in the 49kg category as currently she is ranked fourth in the world with a combined total of 205 kilograms. However, in the 55kg category, Mira would be fighting for the top position against Adijat, who is not only younger than her, but is also the reigning World Championships silver medallist.
'Desh ke liye'
"If I am being honest, for a second or so I thought about the decision. I would be the favourite in 49kg, though there is no guarantee of a medal in sports. Going up the weight division will make things difficult for me," Mira says.
"But then I thought if the federation and coach want us to fight for more medals in several weight divisions, I agreed. We want to add as many medals for India at the Commonwealth Games. It is a small sacrifice, really," the lifter added.
Mira really and truly bleeds for the tricolour. "Desh ke liye kuch bhi karoongi (I will do anything for my country)!" she said. "I know it will be very difficult for me but I will still give it my all and hopefully we will be able to show the results that we are after."
In all likelihood, Mira will shift back to her original weight category after the Birmingham Games.
Eager to compete again
While she has started training for the new role, Mirabai has to first qualify for this change in weight in the last qualifying tournament before the 2022 Games, at the Singapore Weightlifting International, which is scheduled to be held from February 25 to 28.
A top-eight finish is a must. More than the qualification tension, the lifter is looking forward to what will be her first competitive event after winning a memorable silver at the Tokyo Games last July.
"I cannot wait to compete again. We made a conscious decision to stay away as I was desperate to rest my body. Now I am tired of this rest period. For me competing regularly was the norm and now I have not entered a competition in six months. I am eagerly waiting for the Singapore meet," she confessed.
"My weight stays around 50-51kg before competition, so this jump will not be a problem at all. I have started to work harder now and we are training twice," she said, explaining her daily routine. "We will hit peak conditions only before the Games so I am not pushing myself too much in training."
In training, however, she is taking gradual steps. "We think she can fight for the gold for sure," coach Sharma said. "First she has to qualify, which should not be a problem for her. All she needs to do is finish in the top eight. Right now she is only at 70 per cent of her level in training," the Dronacharya Award-winning coach added.