Mirabai wins gold in new weight category, qualifies for CWG

New Delhi: A new weight category and months of preparation. It all looked daunting, but for India’s star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, it was business as usual when she competed in the Singapore International tournament on Friday.

- Sabi Hussain

WEIGHTY ISSUES

Taking to the competition mat for the first time since her historic Tokyo Olympics silver medal win seven months ago, Mirabai strode into the Toa Payoh Sports Hall exuding the same exuberance and confidence which has brought her immense success over the years. She won a creditable gold in the women’s 55kg weight division, en route her qualification for the Birmingham CWG which is to be held in July-August this year. Mirabai had won the silver in the women’s 49kg category at Tokyo 2020.

Mirabai, whose preferred weight category has been the 49kg and one in which she has already secured her qualification for the CWG, opted to compete in the new 55kg division on the advice of the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) in order to maximise the country’s chances of securing more medals in the discipline at the Games.