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Mirabai Chanu back on the medal trail

July 14, 2024
<a href="https://revsportz.in/author/boria/" rel="author" class="url fn n" itemprop="url"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e660b408ca5a915f1c718d0cd98a879b?s=32&d=mm&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e660b408ca5a915f1c718d0cd98a879b?s=64&d=mm&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-32 photo' height='32' width='32' decoding='async'/> <span class="" itemprop="name">Boria Majumdar</span></a>

Mirabai Chanu with the Tokyo OLY Medal (Left) [Image: Mirabai Chanu Instagram]/Chanu training in Paris before the Paris OLY starts.
It was early morning in Paris – or rather, a little distance away from the French capital – and Mirabai Chanu and her coach Vijay Sharma had just finished the morning warm-up. First things first, Mira is injury-free and ready to go. They reached Paris on July 7, and have used the week to get acclimatised to the weather and the conditions. “We used this week to get going and will now start to build load in the coming week,” said Sharma. “We have time at hand and if things go well and we have God’s blessings, August 7 will be a good day for India.”

The head coach is extremely confident of his ward’s chances. At the same time, he isn’t one bit complacent. “It will be challenging, and I think 205 kgs will be the medal=winning weight,” he said. “We are confident of ourselves and just need the next couple of weeks to go well.”

For Mira, it hasn’t been easy. And yet, she has never given up. Even when she was advised complete rest in October in the immediate aftermath of the Asian Games, she did not lose hope. She did not train for close to three months, and such an injury-induced lay-off can impact the mental health of any athlete. Especially if the Olympics are just months away. Mira, however, stayed resilient and strong.

She was patient, and followed the doctor’s order to get the rehab done properly. Now, she is totally injury-free and back to full-steam training. “She has worked the hardest,” said Sharma. “She knows she is ready. The competition will be between five top athletes is what we believe will happen. Each is good, and Mira will have to be at her best. But as I said to you before, if things all go to plan, August 7 will be her day and she will have the second Olympic medal round her neck.”

Mirabai, one of India’s greatest athletes, has had a tough last 12 months. With the home situation in Manipur extremely worrying, she was seen appealing on social media for things to get better. When she was training in the US in August 2023, she had pain in her thigh. With Ultrasounds and more, she managed the pain, and between her coach and her, it was decided to go ahead with the Asian Games, which meant a lot to her from the start. “She was determined to participate and do well for India,” said Sharma. “And with Mira, it is always about mental strength. And in the lead-up, she was looking good, which made me hopeful.”

However, when she was getting warmed up on competition day in China, she felt pain. It was the end of her campaign, and questions were asked. Could she make a comeback and be the same force again?

The truth was that Mira tried hard. That’s what sport is all about. Despite the pain, she pushed her body and tried to get into the medal bracket. It wasn’t to be. Against physical adversity, she could only do so much and no more. This is what it is about. Pain and challenges. Effort. But then, that’s what we want to see. She is back to her best again, and is a force to reckon with in Paris.

All of us will be waiting for August 7. And we know, with Mira, she will too. She won’t rest easy till she sets the record straight.