Latest news with #Mirabai
Indian Express
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Lift it Like Mirabai: Olympics medallist, her coach have one goal now — finding the next her for 2036 Games
Five months ago, two 'strangers' came to Lomason Khundrakpam's hometown in Manipur's Imphal West. They measured his weight and height, shoulder width and thigh circumference, and asked the 10-year-old to jump onto a stack of 25 metal plates. The pile came up to his neck. Unfazed, the 4-foot-tall Lomason took a short run-up, sprinted towards the metal pile, drew all the energy he could from his lithe frame and managed a gravity-defying leap — landing right on top of the plates. The auditioners were stupefied. Days later, Lomason was on his way to Modi Nagar in Ghaziabad, UP, to start a new life — as a weightlifter. Back then, the young boy did not know that the duo testing him was the legendary athlete-coach combo of Mirabai Chanu and Vijay Sharma. For a decade, with the sport itself mired in troubles, from doping scandals to paucity of talent, the athlete and her coach ensured they kept the flag flying for Indian weightlifting — Mirabai's World Championship title eight years ago, the Olympic silver in 2021 (49-kg category) and the world record, when she lifted 119 kg at the 2021 Asian Championships in clean and jerk category. But the 'who-after-Mirabai' question always loomed. So, after the Paris Olympics, the duo decided to do the heavy-lifting once again — this time, to identify the baton bearer for the future generation or, as coach Sharma says, 'hunt for the next Mirabai'. Since September last year, they have been on a country-wide search, going to some of the remotest villages with rich weightlifting traditions — from Kurundwad, a tiny town on the banks of the Panchganga river in Maharashtra, to the ancient Assamese city of Sivasagar, famous for its palaces and temples. The sports-mad Imphal, also Mirabai's home, was their final stop. 'It was nostalgic to return there,' Mirabai gushes. 'More than 200 children turned up! I would have never imagined.' One of them was Lomason, who became part of a hand-picked group of 43 — all aged between 8 and 14, 38 of them girls — that calls itself 'Weightlifting Warriors'. Fifteen of the 43 are from Manipur, 12 from Assam, six from Uttar Pradesh, five from Maharashtra, two from Tamil Nadu and one each from Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Haryana. Sharma says the decision to recruit more girls than boys was a conscious one. 'Girls are more driven,' Sharma says. 'And serious… and disciplined.' He knows. After all, he has raised one – Mirabai — and the two now hope to nurture many more. At the Modi Nagar academy, Lomason glances at a life-size photo of Mirabai and Sharma flashing the Tokyo Olympics silver medal, and says softly: 'I want to be like Mira didi.' The seeds of this ambitious project were sown at an unlikely location: a surgeon's office. In late 2023, Mirabai aggravated an injury during the Hangzhou Asian Games, where she heroically came close to a medal despite writhing in pain. From Hangzhou, Sharma and Mirabai headed straight to Mumbai to get her condition assessed by sports medicine expert Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala. As Dr Pardiwala examined one of his many famous patients, Sharma went into a mental spiral. 'I was talking with Viren bhai (Viren Rasquinha, CEO of the Olympic Gold Quest, a foundation that supports athletes in their quest for Olympic medals) about the dire situation we were facing,' he says. 'For close to a decade, we have had only one athlete who has competed consistently at the world and Olympic stages and that's Mira. After her, we don't have anyone who can be competitive beyond the Commonwealth.' It's a frightening reality that Indian weightlifting has routinely confronted. India has had a sentimental relation with weightlifting. In 2000, Karnam Malleswari became the first woman from the country to win an Olympic medal when she won a bronze medal at the Sydney Games. Before her, Kunjarani Devi won seven silver medals at the World Championships from 1989 to 1998, missing just once in 1993 due to an injury. Mirabai Chanu continued the tradition and remained a strong medal contender at the last three Olympics, going on to win a silver in Tokyo. There has been a bagful of Commonwealth medals too. Despite these heartwarming performances, Indians have rarely held their own in the presence of the bigger players — mainly from China, followed by those from the US and Europe. Then, there's the long shadow of doping. According to the Sports Ministry's annual report for 2023-24, weightlifting had the second-highest dope cheats in the country — 33 — after athletics, a trend that goes back to more than a decade. The drying talent pipeline has been another major concern. Mirabai has been India's sole representative at the last two Olympics. The situation is unlikely to change at the Los Angeles Games in three years. That is, if Mirabai's aching body holds up until then — next year's Asian Games will be her first big test. Sharma opens up about the 'international embarrassment' when he travels for competitions. 'Coaches from other countries ask me, 'How come you are happy with just two (Olympic) medals?'' Sharma says. 'They are right. But before we think of winning more medals, we first have to ensure our athletes qualify in every weight category. Without quantity, it's hard to get good quality.' The focus on weightlifting is a strategic decision. The sport offers 10 gold medals at the Olympics, making it one of the high-medal events. By focussing on increasing participation numbers, which have so far been dismal, India can at least hope to be in contention for these medals. That's how 'Weightlifting Warriors' came into being. 'I have spent my whole life until now working with elite athletes,' Sharma says. 'I'll spend my remaining time nurturing young talents, teaching them the correct techniques and creating a steady stream of lifters.' Sharma, whose family left Akhnoor, the scenic town in the foothills of the Himalayas, and settled in the plains of Modi Nagar, Ghaziabad, turned a family-owned building into a full-fledged academy equipped with a gym, dining area, an office and residential rooms. He got help from the Indian Weightlifting Federation when he went around scouting for talent. Mirabai left Patiala — her home for more than a decade, ever since she moved from Imphal East and started living at the National Institute of Sport where the national team is based — and relocated to Ghaziabad. She trains here by herself, lives with the young trainees and coaches them. 'Coaching comes naturally to me, I like to think,' she says. 'That's my plan when I stop competing. It is very tough, but it is something I must do to ensure my sport grows.' Mirabai's long-time backers, OGQ, bought into the project and took care of everyday operations. 'It's a very big project but also very exciting,' says Rasquinha, the hockey Olympian. 'Our goal is to create the next Mirabai Chanu in eight years.' It's a punt to take untested youngsters and try to convert them into champion lifters of the future. But Sharma and his team remain optimistic. Clang. Stomp. Grunt. Repeat. It's half-past-seven in the morning and the brightly lit gymnasium in the basement of an austere building is a hub of activity. Some trainees lift the barbells above their heads in one snappy motion. A few others, not ready yet for higher loads, work on their core. Sharma's hawkish eyes don't miss a thing: A 12-year-old's right knee bends fractionally outwards and he makes a mental note; it'll be rectified before the next session. He notices another trainee's thighs shaking when she lifts the barbell above her head; more strength training will be advised. For years, Sharma has grudgingly admired China's gigantic sports machine, of which weightlifting is just a small cog, but one that's delivered them a staggering 43 gold medals at the Olympics — including half of the titles at Paris, just like in Tokyo. A strategy that sets the Chinese grapplers apart from the rest of the world is the disciplined training that young weightlifters are put through, and the single-minded focus on perfecting their technique. In contrast, the Indian elite lifters are loaded with technical flaws because they would 'start late and not be taught the correct techniques, something that stays with them', says Sharma. 'At the national camp, it is not possible to start from scratch and make athletes change what they have been doing for many years.' Even Mirabai, the most successful Indian weightlifter of this century, has 'some technical imperfections', he says. Mirabai, too, is conscious of this. As she walks onto the floor of the gym, drawing glances from the trainees who are still in awe of her, she smiles: 'There are times when I feel this bunch is lucky.' Mirabai's first brush with weightlifting wasn't in a gym like this. It was a rudimentary facility back in Imphal and instead of barbells, she began by lifting bamboo canes before gradually proceeding to use equipment. There was 'no support', except from her family and the three coaches at the facility. And no one to make timely interventions and correct her technical flaws. 'I could have been so much better,' she sighs. Mirabai, of course, is talking about the finest of margins that often makes the difference between a gold and silver at the Olympics. One that separated her from the best Chinese lifters. This tiny gap, she says, can be traced to the formative years and the different approaches of the two countries. 'In other sports, athletes in India start when they are 8 or 9 years old. But not in weightlifting. I don't know why. Maybe because of the nature of the sport. No academy teaches weightlifting to 7-or-8-year-olds,' she says. 'Look at China, in contrast. They might not make the 8-year-olds lift heavy weights at that age. But they condition their bodies and minds in such a way that by 14, they are ready,' she says. International sport, at this level, is a game of patience. There is no magic wand and the results of this intervention, as Rasquinha said, are unlikely to be visible until eight years or so, that too if everything goes as planned. Like Sharma stayed by her side for a decade, and continues doing so, Mirabai says she's in this for the long haul and is already looking forward to transitioning into a coaching role once she stops actively competing. 'Sir (Sharma) and I have been talking about this for years. Long plan karte hai (we'll plan long-term), we told each other. This is for 2036 (Olympics). But for that, we have to prepare them from this moment onwards. It'll require a lot of patience,' she says. Until they reach the age of 13 — the starting point of the sub-junior age category for competitions — the recruits will only be taught the correct technique, Sharma says. 'We don't just want to produce weightlifters, we want the most complete lifters technically,' Sharma says. 'This is the age to shape them, and drill the right concepts in their minds.' Nine-year-old Varnika Sherawat takes a deep breath when asked about her dream. 'Mera dream?' Varnika, who is from Sadarpur in Ghaziabad, repeats. 'Weightlifting karna hai, Mira didi jaisa banna hai (To lift weights like Mirabai).' Next to her, Priyanka Patil nods approvingly. A year ago, the 11-year-old saw Mirabai competing at the Paris Olympics. Months later, the weightlifter was at her village in Maharashtra's Sangli district, hunting for talent. 'I was hooked from the moment I saw didi on TV. It is a dream to live and train with her,' says Priyanka, whose parents are farmers. Mirabai grew up hearing the names of Karnam Malleswari and Kunjarani Devi — she idolised them and wanted nothing more than to be able to lift weights like they did. Now, she is surrounded by girls and boys who want to be like her. On the lifting platform, Mirabai dips into years of knowledge and passes it on to the next generation. At the dining hall, she stands behind a food counter, flipping omelettes for the young athletes and serving piping hot tea to the staff. During recreation hours, she collaborates with the academy staff and organises movie nights on off days or simply chats with the children 'to make sure they don't feel homesick'. On June 23, Olympic Day, she got drawing books and colours for all the children and asked them to draw on the theme of weightlifting, and the Olympics. One had podiums and a silhouette of Mirabai on top, a few made sketches of the barbells with the five rings around it. Sharma and Mirabai know that sometimes, it's all they need to do — hand out a blank canvas and watch the children dream.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Indian team for Commonwealth weightlifting championships
Worlds and Olympics medallist Mirabai Chanu will spearhead India's campaign in the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships (CWC), a major qualifying event for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Glasgow next year, to be held in Ahmedabad from August 23 to 31. Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai, who had a disappointing fourth-place finish in Paris 2024, trained with physiotherapist Aaron Horschig in the USA for three weeks in September last before focusing on her recovery and training, especially on snatch in her quest to achieve the 90kg mark, at Modinagar. India has picked 16 lifters (apart from four reserves), including eight men and as many women, for the CWC following the selection trials. The winner in each weight category at the CWC will earn a quota place for the CWG. Most of the lifters selected in the team are likely to participate in the World championships to be held in Forde, Norway, in October. The team: Men: 60kg: Chanambam Rishikanta Singh; 65kg: Muthupandi Raja; 71kg: Narayana Ajith; 79kg: Valluri Ajaya Babu and Achinta Sheuli (reserve); 88kg: Ajay Singh; 94kg: Dilbag Singh; 110kg: Harcharan Singh; +110kg: Lovepreet Singh. Women: 48kg: Saikhom Mirabai Chanu; 53kg: Sneha Soren and Gyaneshwari Yadav (reserve); 58kg: Sorokhaibam Bindyarani Devi and Rima Bhoi (reserve); 63kg: Seram Nirupama Devi; 69kg: Harjinder Kaur and Sanapathi Pallavi (reserve); 77kg: Harmanpreet Kaur; 86kg: Vanshita Verma; +86kg: Mehak Sharma.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
NBA Trade Rumors: Cleveland Cavaliers could bring back $52.6 million Los Angeles Lakers megastar to form deadly duo with Darius Garland
Cleveland Cavaliers shake NBA with massive Kevin Durant trade request for Darius Garland (Image Source: Getty Images) The Los Angeles Lakers have shown they're willing to make bold moves, and another seismic shift could be on the horizon. According to reports, the Cleveland Cavaliers might explore reuniting with NBA legend LeBron James —a move that would send shockwaves through the league. Why the Cavaliers Are a Potential Landing Spot Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz recently highlighted the Cleveland Cavaliers as a realistic destination for James, citing their strong roster and financial flexibility. "The Cavs won 64 games last season before injuries derailed their chances of making it past the Indiana Pacers," Swartz noted. "Donovan Mitchell (three years) and Evan Mobley (five years) are both starting new max extensions and together would form one of the best Big Threes in the entire NBA with James." (H/t: Sporting News) The Financial Roadblock FILE - Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James appears during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, on Feb. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) LeBron James ' $52.6 million salary complicates any potential deal. The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently $18.7 million over the second apron, meaning they can't aggregate contracts in a trade. NBA salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan outlined a possible framework: - Cavaliers send out: Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and De'Andre Hunter - Third team involvement: Needed to absorb additional salary This would leave Cleveland with a revamped core: - LeBron James – Four-time champion and franchise legend - Donovan Mitchell – Dynamic scorer on a new max extension - Evan Mobley – Versatile big man anchoring the defense - Max Strus – Reliable floor-spacer and role player - Lonzo Ball – Playmaker returning from injury - Sam Merrill – Sharpshooting guard off the bench - Dean Wade – Stretch forward providing depth Young prospects like Tyrese Proctor, Jaylon Tyson, and Craig Porter Jr. could also play key roles. LeBron James' Legacy in Cleveland Cavaliers James' history with the Cleveland Cavaliers is well-documented: - First stint (2003-2010): Became a franchise icon but left due to lack of championship support. - Second stint (2014-2018): Delivered a title in 2016, defeating the 73-win Warriors in a historic Finals comeback. Now, rumors suggest four teams—possibly including Cleveland—have inquired about trading for LeBron James. Would a Trade Actually Happen? While the narrative is compelling, Swartz acknowledges the challenges: - Salary matching difficulties require a third team. - Lakers' willingness to move James remains unclear. Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: Golden State Warriors could sign $186 million Miwauke Bucks star to form Big 3 with Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler For now, fans can only speculate—but the idea of LeBron finishing his career where it started is undeniably intriguing. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'Even with family, my mind is on training and weight': Mirabai Chanu opens up
NEW DELHI: India's star weightlifter says that the pressures of training and maintaining weight never really leave her mind—even when she's spending time with family. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist in the 49kg category is currently preparing for the upcoming Commonwealth Championships. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "We also get a little time to rest, especially after the Asian Games or Olympics. I took some rest too, but then got back to training. But yes, spending time with family is also very important—especially after giving so much time to training—it's necessary to relax a little," Mirabai said on Game On - a podcast series. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "So, that part was good, but now it's time to face training again. Up next is the Commonwealth Championships, which will also act as a qualifier for the Commonwealth Games. So, our full focus is on that, and all our preparations are currently geared toward it. "We don't really get to enjoy traveling. I do go out sometimes, but I can't really enjoy with my family the way I'd like to—because we have to get back to training. We've already given so much time to it, so we have to think about how to recover, how to maintain ourselves... these things are always on my mind. I keep thinking: when should I restart training? Will I be able to perform like I did before? "So honestly, we're always thinking about training—even while eating! We think: if I eat this, what effect will it have? Will I gain fat? Will my weight go up? Because of this, we can't even eat what we want to. Jasprit Bumrah press conference: Lashes out at critics, dropped catches and no balls "I love junk food—especially pizza! Everyone knows that. But I still can't eat it. Even when I'm not training, I really feel like eating it, but I stop myself and think, 'If I eat this, how will tomorrow's training go?' I have to maintain my weight, especially keeping it at 50 kg. It's very tough—training and staying at that weight. So, even when I want something, I have to stop myself and say, 'Not now, focus on the competition first,'" she said. In addition to her Olympic silver, Mirabai also has a gold and a silver medal at the World Championships, two golds and a silver at the Commonwealth Games, and a bronze at the Asian Championships.
Gulf Today
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Climate change heightens risk of Indian farmer suicides
On a small farm in India's Maharashtra state, Mirabai Khindkar said the only thing her land grew was debt, after crops failed in drought and her husband killed himself. Farmer suicides have a long history in India, where many are one crop failure away from disaster, but extreme weather caused by climate change is adding fresh pressure. Dwindling yields due to water shortages, floods, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, coupled with crippling debt, have taken a heavy toll on a sector that employs 45 percent of India's 1.4 billion people. Mirabhai's husband Amol was left with debts to loan sharks worth hundreds of times their farm's annual income, after the one-hectare soybean, millet and cotton plot withered in scorching heat. He swallowed poison last year. "When he was in the hospital, I prayed to all the gods to save him," said 30-year-old Mirabai, her voice breaking. Amol died a week later, leaving behind Mirabai and three children. Her last conversation with him was about debt. Their personal tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland - an area bigger than Belgium - according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. Over 60 per cent of that was in Maharashtra. "Summers are extreme, and even if we do what is necessary, the yield is not enough," said Amol's brother and fellow farmer Balaji Khindkar. "There is not enough water to irrigate the fields. It doesn't rain properly." Between 2022 and 2024, 3,090 farmers took their own lives in Marathwada, an average of nearly three a day, according to India's Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan. People walk across the dried-up Godavari river in Beed district in Maharashtra. File / AFP Government statistics do not specify what drove the farmers to kill themselves, but analysts point to several likely factors. "Farmer suicides in India are a consequence of the crisis of incomes, investment and productivity that you have in agriculture," said R. Ramakumar, professor of development studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Farming across many Indian smallholdings is done largely as it has been for centuries, and is highly dependent on the right weather at the correct time. "What climate change and its vulnerabilities and variabilities have done is to increase the risks in farming," Ramakumar said. This "is leading to crop failures, uncertainties... which is further weakening the economics of cultivation for small and marginal farmers." The government could support farmers with better insurance schemes to cope with extreme weather events, as well as investments in agricultural research, Ramakumar said. "Agriculture should not be a gamble with the monsoon." Faced with uncertain weather, farmers often look to stem falling yields by investing in fertilisers or irrigation systems. But banks can be reluctant to offer credit to such uncertain borrowers. Some turn to loan sharks offering quick cash at exorbitant interest rates, and risking catastrophe if crops fail. "It is difficult to make ends meet with just farming," Mirabai said, standing outside her home, a tin-roofed hut with patch-cloth walls. Khadija Bi (right), whose son Shaikh Latif Sheru, a farmer who committed suicide due to mounting financial loans, sits under the shade of a tree along with her family members at their farmland in Mochi Pimpalgaon village of Beed district. File / AFP Her husband's loans soared to over $8,000, a huge sum in India, where the average monthly income of a farming household is around $120. Mirabai works on other farms as a labourer but could not pay back the debt. "The loan instalments piled up," she said, adding that she wants her children to find jobs outside of farming when they grow up. "Nothing comes out of the farm." The agricultural industry has been in a persistent crisis for decades. And while Maharashtra has some of the highest suicide rates, the problem is nationwide. Thirty people in the farming sector killed themselves every day in 2022, according to national crime records bureau statistics. At another farm in Marathwada, 32-year-old farmer Shaikh Imran took over the running of the family smallholding last year after his brother took his own life. He is already more than $1,100 in debt after borrowing to plant soybean. The crop failed. Meanwhile, the pop of explosives echoes around as farmers blast wells, hoping to hit water. "There's no water to drink," said family matriarch Khatijabi. "Where shall we get water to irrigate the farm?" Agence France-Presse
