Mirabai Chanu: Will have mummy ke haath ka khana once I am home
What makes weightlifter Mirabai Chanu’s victory at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in the women’s 49kg category sweeter for her is that it’s India’s first gold at the event. “After Tokyo, this was my first big competition. I am so happy with this medal, that I was the first to get India a gold [in CWG ’22],” she gushes, adding that she celebrated with lots of pizza. “I had to give up pizza during training. But yesterday, I indulged in it! Once I am home, I will have eromba (a Manipuri dish) and mummy ke haath ka khaana,” says Chanu, who lifted a total of 201kg — 88kg in snatch and 113kg in clean and jerk — to create a new CWG record as well as her own personal best.
She received positive energy to perform her best from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as the Olympic earrings gifted by her mother, which grabbed attention after her silver finish at Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Calling them her lucky charm, she adds, “I wear these at every competition. My mother supports me a lot, so I wanted to keep her close.” And that’s why she even got a tattoo that reads ‘Mom’ in Manipuri language along with the Olympic rings.
While the athlete’s family broke into dance after her CWG win, she was bombarded with love from fans in Birmingham (UK), too. “There were so many fans there that it took me three hours to meet them all. It feels nice to be recognised,” says the 27-year-old, adding, “It was such an emotional moment for me when the National Anthem played, I was teary-eyed on the podium.”
Next, she has her sight set on the World Championships. Mention the subject of biopics about sports stars and Chanu acknowledges that they help bring to light the hard work athletes put in to win laurels for the country. While she hasn’t received any calls from filmmakers, the athlete wouldn’t be opposed to a biopic being made about her.
“It would be interesting for the public to get to know what all I did, how much effort went into my wins... Hum medal le ke toh aate hain, par andar humne kitna kaam kiya hai bahut kam logo ko pata hota hai. It would also help the younger generation and give them motivation [to aim for big dreams and goals], ki ‘main bhi aisa banna chahti hoon’,” Chanu concludes.
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