| Saikhom Mirabai Chanu Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 4 ft 11 in |
| Weight | 49 kg |
| Date of Birth | August 8, 1994 |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu is an Indian weightlifter who had clinched the ‘Gold’ medal at the 2017 Anaheim World Weightlifting Championships (48 kg) and the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (48 kg); and the ‘Silver’ medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games (49 kg) and the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games (48 kg). She had also secured the ‘Bronze’ medal at the 2020 Tashkent Asian Weightlifting Championships (49 kg). In 2018, for her services to weightlifting, she had been honored with the ‘Padma Shri’ by the Government of India, the country’s 4th-highest civilian award. The same year, she was honored with the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna’ award, the highest sporting honor in India.
Born Name
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu
Nick Name
Mirabai
Sun Sign
Leo
Born Place
Nongpok Kakching, Imphal East, Manipur, India
Residence
Manipur, India
Nationality
Occupation
Weightlifter
Family
- Father – Saikhom Kriti Meitei
- Mother – Saikhom Ongbi Tombi Leima
- Siblings – Saikhom Sanatomba Meitei (Older Brother), Saikhom Rangita (Older Sister). She has 2 other older sisters and 1 other older brother.
Manager
She is represented by Rahul Trehan, Manager and Booking Agent, Infinity Optimal Solutions Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India.
Weight Class
48-49 kg
Build
Athletic
Height
4 ft 11 in or 150 cm
Weight
49 kg or 108 lbs
Race / Ethnicity
Asian (Indian)
She is of Meitei descent.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Toned physique
- Diminutive frame
- Center-parted, shoulder-length, straight hair
- Affable smile
- Radiant face
Brand Endorsements
She has been sponsored by the sports goods manufacturing giant Adidas.
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu Facts
- Saikhom Mirabai Chanu’s family had identified her potential in weightlifting when she was 12 years old. By that time, she was able to easily carry a huge bundle of firewood home while her older brothers would struggle to even lift it. She was interested in archery as a youngster but had switched to weightlifting after watching athletes train in the sport at a local sports hall in Imphal.
- Before her heroics at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she had also qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics in the 48 kg category. That journey had ended in heartbreak though as she was unable to record any successful lift in her 3 attempts in the clean & jerk section.
- The following year, when she had won the ‘Gold’ medal in the 48 kg category at the Anaheim World Weightlifting Championships, she had lifted a competition record 194 kg overall (85 kg in snatch and 109 kg in clean & jerk).
- At the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, she was the first Indian to secure a ‘Gold’ medal. She had also broken the competition record in her weight category, recording her personal best performance, lifting 196 kg overall (86 kg in snatch and 110 kg in clean & jerk).
- Even though she went on to improve her personal best mark to 199 kg at the 2019 Asian Weightlifting Championships, she had missed out on a ‘Bronze’ medal by a whisker. She made up for it at the 2020 Asian Weightlifting Championships by winning a ‘Bronze’ medal with an overall lift of 205 kg which had included a new world record of 119 kg in the clean & jerk section.
- At the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships, she had again improved her personal best to 201 kg but had to be content with 4th place. This was a new national record though, in the 49 kg category. 4 months after this, she would again better her personal best, lifting 203 kg, to win the ‘Gold’ medal in the 49 kg category at the 2020 Senior National Weightlifting Championships.
- In June 2021, she became the only Indian female weightlifter to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by claiming 2nd position on the Absolute Rankings for the 49 kg category.
- She went on to become India’s first medalist at the competition, lifting 202 kg overall which had included a new Olympic record of 115 kg in the clean & jerk section. This feat had made her the first Indian weightlifter to win a ‘Silver’ medal at the Olympics and only the 2nd Indian weightlifter to win an Olympic medal after Karnam Malleswari’s ‘Bronze’ medal heroics at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 69 kg category.
- In August 2021, she got to meet Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and gifted him a stole with sangai deer (Manipur’s state animal) on it.
- In August 2021, Adidas announced Mirabai as the face of their techfit period-proof tights.
- In July 2022, during Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 held in Birmingham, England, Mirabai clinched the ‘Gold’ medal. It was also India’s first gold medal at CWG 2022.
- Mirabai made a CWG record in the women’s 49-kg category by lifting a total of 201 kg at CWG 2022. She lifted 88 kg in snatch and 113 kg in clean and jerk, making a total of 201 kg.
Featured Image by Saikhom Mirabai Chanu / Instagram
