'No going home till I win': Mirabai Chanu’s Asian Games mission to end India’s 28-year wait

Ever wondered what it feels like to lift nearly double your body weight over your head? That is exactly what two-time Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu has been doing for more than a decade.And in about a week’s time, she will again attempt to do exactly that when she competes in women’s 49kg category in Aichi-Nagoya, hoping to win the one pice of glory that still eludes her glittering career — an Asian Games medal.Determined to finally break the jinx, Mirabai has left nothing to chance in her preparations. From returning to training within days of winning her third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal to regularly consulting American strength and conditioning coach Dr Aaron Horschig, she has been meticulous in her pursuit of success.The Asian Games has been the one major event where circumstances and injuries have repeatedly stood in her way.The 32-year-old first competed at the continental showpiece as a teenager in Incheon in 2014, finishing ninth. A back injury forced her to miss the 2018 edition in Jakarta, while hip and thigh injuries hampered her campaign in Hangzhou three years ago, where she narrowly missed the podium and finished fourth.This time, she heads to Japan on the back of a dominant showing in Glasgow, where she won her third successive CWG gold. Competing in the women’s 48kg category, Mirabai registered a Games-record total of 190kg, a staggering 22kg more than runner-up Ruth Asuquo Nyong.The triumph added to an already remarkable collection that includes an Olympic silver medal, a world championship title and multiple CWG podium finishes.Yet her focus has now shifted to the title that has evaded her accomplishments.Speaking to SAI Media after coming back from Glasgow, she said: “I was straight back to training at Modinagar. In fact, I did not go home (in Manipur), and I have set myself a challenge ‘no going home till I win a medal at the Asian Games’.”Mirabai’s task, meanwhile, has been made slightly easier by the absence of a Chinese lifter in the category, but the competition remains fierce. Thailand’s Kaeosingkhon Suthasini and Chinese Taipei’s Fang Wan-ling will be among her principal rivals, while North Korea’s Ri Song Gum, a two-time defending champion and world record-holder, is widely expected to dominate the field.“I want to see how far I can go in Japan. The Asian Games have been the toughest for me. You will probably see the Olympics at the Asian Games this time because the strongest lifters in our weight category are from Asia,” Mirabai said.But it’s hard to ignore the form she has shown this year. In February, Mirabai set three national records in the 48kg category at National Championships before following it up with gold in Glasgow.Yet the road to Nagoya has not been entirely smooth, with one of the biggest challenges being the shift between weight categories. She competed in the 48kg division at CWG before returning to her preferred 49kg class for the Asiad.Earlier in the season, she also battled shoulder and wrist issues. However, thanks to careful management by coach Vijay Sharma and the support staff, she heads to Nagoya in good shape.“We have been careful with fitness and so far, I have felt good with my body,” she said.Also competing for India in weightlifting will be CWG silver medallists Gyaneshwari Yadav and Harjinder Kaur in women’s 53kg and 69kg categories respectively, while Seram Nirupama Devi will contest the 61kg division after failing to register a lift in Glasgow.But the weight of expectations will rest primarily on Mirabai, who carries India’s hopes of adding to its tally of 14 Asian Games weightlifting medals, comprising five silver and nine bronze.When the competition begins at Tokai Citizens Gymnasium next week, all eyes will be on the Manipuri lifter.If Mirabai can finally climb the Asian Games podium, she will not only end India’s 28-year wait for a weightlifting medal since Karnam Malleswari’s silver at 1998 Bangkok but also complete the one chapter missing from an already legendary career.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.