Mirabai Chanu Exclusive: 'This is a dream come true. My hardwork has paid off'

Mirabai Chanu, who spoke exclusively to Asianet News along with her coach Vijay Sharma after winning the silver medal in the 48kg weightlifting competition, said that her hard work had paid off in Tokyo. 

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu is elated with her performance that won her the first medal for the country at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. 

Mirabai, who spoke exclusively to Asianet News along with her coach, said that her hard work paid off in Tokyo. 

"This is a dream come true. I dedicate this medal to the country and to the 130 crore Indians who accompanied me on my journey with prayers," she said. 

Mirabai said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi called her to congratulate her on her medal-winning performance. 

Talking about her silver medal in the 49kg event, Mirabai said: "I knew after I lifted the weight that silver was assured. But I fought for gold. Unfortunately, that did not happen. I am very happy with the silver medal. For me, it is my biggest achievement."

Describing her state of mind before walking out onto the arena, the weightlifter said she was nervous as there were way too many people counting on her to deliver.

"I discussed with sir (coach). I had to do well. I had to deliver the way I did in the previous competitions. Accordingly, we prepared for the Olympics."

She said hard training from the United States helped her perform better. 

"I used to have a problem with my shoulder. In the United States, I received good support from the physiotherapist. I was also able to train better," she said.

Coach Vijay Sharma said, "There were some things we learnt from the Rio Olympics. After that failure, we put in a lot of effort in training, lift techniques and other aspects." 

Mirabai already has her next target in sight. She wants to win gold at the next Olympics in Paris. 

Coach Vijay Sharma said, "We are not satisfied with silver. We will work harder. I assure you that we will try harder."