SILVER MEDAL, GOLDEN GIRL

Mirabai Chanu makes history for India on the opening day of the Tokyo Olympics

First day, first medal. That’s the piece of history Mirabai Chanu wrote for India as she thrust a 115kg barbell up above her with the practised ease of a world beater. At the Tokyo International Forum, early in the morning of the first day after Olympics was declared open, Chanu won the silver in 49kg women’s weightlifting with a combined total of 202kg. It marked the first time that India has won a medal on the opening day of an Olympics, signalling what may turn out to be a landmark Games for the Indian contingent.

Chanu lifted 87kg in snatch and 115kg — just four kilos less than her own world record — in the clean & jerk, behind only China’s Hou Zhihui’s total of 210kg. Zhihui is the world record holder in the category.

Chanu’s coach Vijay Sharma’s booming voice resonated through the hall, as the diminutive lifter from Manipur ran to the backroom after her lifts to wrap herself around her 6ft2 father figure.

Chanu is now only the second weightlifter from India to win an Olympic medal, after Karnam Malleswari won bronze at the 2000 Sydney Games. Someone from the coaching staff handed her a phone — on the other end was Jeremy Lalrinnunga and other teammates at their training base in Patiala, screaming and dancing with joy. Chanu broke into a jig herself. “Balle balle kiya!” she said, laughing.

After the medal ceremony, Chanu came out to the media area, the silver around her neck. She held it and kissed it.

“Medal bahut bhari hai, (the medal’s quite heavy),” she said, beaming throughout. “I wanted to win the gold, I tried, but I will accept the silver.

“I am very happy, I have been dreaming of this for the past five years. I am very proud of myself right now. The first thing I will do is party!” she said.

“Could not have asked for a happier start to @Tokyo2020! India is elated by Mirabai Chanu’s stupendous performance... Congratulations to her for winning the silver medal in weightlifting. Her success motivates every Indian,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

“Congratulations to #MirabaiChanu for our country’s first medal on the very first day. India is proud of her daughter,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote on Twitter. If not for Chanu, this day could have gone very differently. Or rather, along more familiar lines. Indian athletes were involved in three other medal events on the opening day. In each of these, the Indians were strong contenders — Saurabh Chaudhary and Abhishek Verma, both ranked in the top three in the world, in 10m air pistol. Elavenil Valarivan (seeded No. 1 for Tokyo 2020) and world record holder Apurvi Chandela in 10m air rifle.

“In 2016, I did not have a good show but it proved as a learning curve...

I worked really hard for this.”

Mirabai Chanu on the way to a historic weightlifting silver on the first day of the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday.