Why Saikhom Mirabai Chanu Can Give India A Flying Start At Tokyo Olympics

July 24, 2021. Mark your calendar. If everything goes as planned,바카라 웹사이트this will be a Red-Letter Day in the history of Indian weightlifting.바카라 웹사이트That's how Saikhom Mirabai Chanu is prepping herself for the바카라 웹사이트postponed Tokyo Olympics. And she believes, 'impossible is nothing'. (More Sports News)

Already billed as one of India's brightest hopes at the Summer Games, the 26-year-old Mirabai can actually set the tone for the Indian contingent, which will feature a host of medal prospects in shooting, wrestling, boxing, etc. Mirabai, along with women's 10 m air rifle and men's 10 m air pistol shooters will open India's campaign, a day after the opening ceremony at the XXXII Olympiad.

READ:바카라 웹사이트Mirabai Chanu Reveals Heartbreak

The buzz is, she is sure shot바카라 웹사이트for a medal in the women's 49kg event. And she has the belief.

"I have big hopes for the Olympics. There is a self-belief. And I바카라 웹사이트always believe that hard work always translates into success. Yes,바카라 웹사이트I am confident of winning a medal. I will give my best," Mirabai told바카라 웹사이트바카라.

With little over three months to the start of the Tokyo Games, Mirabai바카라 웹사이트set a new world record ‘as promised’ at the Asian Weightlifting Championship in Tashkent on바카라 웹사이트April 17.

READY TO STRIKE바카라 웹사이트

Few days before leaving the바카라 웹사이트National Institute of Sport (NIS) in Patiala for the continental바카라 웹사이트competition, the former world champion declared that she is ready바카라 웹사이트to strike gold at the Olympics.바카라 웹사이트

"I can cross the 90-mark in Snatch, and I have been touching 119바카라 웹사이트in Clean and Jerk. So, my target is also to create a new world바카라 웹사이트record," the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist said.

Days later she shattered the Clean and Jerk record by lifting 119kg바카라 웹사이트in her third and final attempt. Her progression was -- 113kg, 117kg바카라 웹사이트then, eventually 119kg, which is one kg more than Chinese lifter Jiang바카라 웹사이트Huihua's previous record.

Chinese lifters Jiang Huihua, left, and Hou Zhihui with India's Saikhom Mirabai Chanu in Tashkent. Photo - Twitter (@mirabai_chanu)

But the gold level Olympic qualifying event in바카라 웹사이트Uzbekistan gave her a reality check. She still needs to conquer her inner demons. Two failed바카라 웹사이트attempts in Snatch almost ruined her Tashkent trip. She somehow lifted 86kg in the final attempt.바카라 웹사이트

ALSO READ:바카라 웹사이트Efforts Will Go To Waste, If Olympics Doesn't Happen - Mirabai

Mirabai Chanu라이브 바카라 combined lift of바카라 웹사이트205kg was good enough for a finish third, but way behind the two Chinese --바카라 웹사이트Hou Zhihui 213 kg (96 and 117) and Huihua 207 (89 and 118). By the way, Zhihui's Snatch lift and combined total are two new world records.

It means that Chinese lifters remain the ones to beat. But at Tokyo International Forum on바카라 웹사이트July 24, there will be only one Chinese lifter바카라 웹사이트to contend, probably Zhihui. A country can send only one바카라 웹사이트lifter per category to Olympics.바카라 웹사이트

KOREAN FACTOR바카라 웹사이트

Also, with the withdrawal of North바카라 웹사이트Korea, Mirabai Chanu's medal hope swells. As things stand,바카라 웹사이트the Indian lifter is fourth in the pecking order. Ahead of her are the two바카라 웹사이트Chinese and Ri Song-gum of North Korea.

Besides, Thailand and Malaysia have been banned from sending바카라 웹사이트weightlifters to Tokyo because of multiple doping offences. It라이브 바카라 not a secret that lifters바카라 웹사이트from Southeast Asian countries have traditionally performed well in the lower바카라 웹사이트weight categories. So, all these seemingly fortuitous turns of events may well end up giving India a rare podium finish.바카라 웹사이트

Mirabai admitted that North Korea's absence will make one less바카라 웹사이트medal contender in the fray but the confident Manipuri said that she doesn't바카라 웹사이트care who she is competing against -- Chinese or North Koreans.

ALSO READ:바카라 웹사이트Mirabai Betters Her Own National Record

"My sole focus is to give my best performance and win a medal바카라 웹사이트for my country. It really doesn't matter if they compete at the바카라 웹사이트games or not," said Mirabai, who's one of the faces of Adidas’ 'Impossible Is Nothing' campaign.

If Mirabai manages to win a medal at the Tokyo Games, she will be바카라 웹사이트the second Indian to do so in weightlifting after Karnam바카라 웹사이트Malleswari, who won a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

STAYING CLEAN바카라 웹사이트

Mirabai Chanu conceded that like other athletes, she too had doubts바카라 웹사이트when the first wave of coronavirus hit India and the Games바카라 웹사이트was postponed. She was confined to the NIS centre and have had limited training. And there was a nagging back pain, which needed treatment in the United States. Now, she is raring to go.

After months of 'deloading' due to바카라 웹사이트coronavirus pandemic, Mirabai is finally regaining her lost ground.바카라 웹사이트All she needs to do is remain injury-free, and stay clean.

Weightlifting is one of the most dope-tainted Olympic sports. India has faced its share of shame too. In fact, an unnamed national바카라 웹사이트record-holder was provisionally suspended after testing바카라 웹사이트positing for a banned substance before the team's departure for바카라 웹사이트Tashkent. She was set to be a part of the team for the Asian Championship.

Talking about doping, Mirabai said that everyone at the Indian Weightlifting Federation is making a concerted effort to make the sport clean.

She also stressed on the importance of guiding upcoming lifters, who are mostly from rural areas. But the Padma Shri awardee is happy that India now has Khelo India and other 'grassroot games' to help groom athletes.

“India has seen legendary lifters (like Nameirakpam Kunjarani Devi, Malleswari, etc) and still, the best weightlifters are from rural areas, usually from poor backgrounds with limited access to proper training facilities,” the 2017 world champion said.