Weight of a nation

Mirabai's injury woes have made things difficult for her, but India's only lifter in Paris should not be underestimated

- BECHU S.

If another word can give 'legend' a run for its money in the realm of overused terms in sports, it would be 'redemption. So common is the use of the word that fans may be left to wonder whether any professional athlete has ever managed a career sans a redemption arc.

But, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu's is a redemption story in its truest sense. After her humble beginnings in a Manipur village, where she was noted for lifting firewood bundles too heavy for her brother, she made it big to represent India at Rio 2016. The 21-year-old failed to register a valid lift in the clean and jerk.

But, within a year, she became only the second Indian weightlifter, after Karnam Malleswari, to win gold at the World Weightlifting Championships. And when the Games reached Tokyo, Mirabai was on the podium on the opening day with a silver medal in the 49kg category.