The China Mail - India trailblazer won't 'let go' of chance for Asian weightlifting glory

The 32-year-old may be tiny in stature but she is a big star back home after adding a third Commonwealth Games gold in July to a bulging medal collection that includes a world gold nine years ago and a Tokyo Olympics silver.

The 150cm (4ft 11in) Chanu has had no respite since her golden exploits in Glasgow, where she won the women's 48kg class by hoisting a Commonwealth Games record 190kg.

She skipped a trip back home to the northeastern Manipur state and went straight back into training camp in New Delhi.

After sweating and grunting through a gruelling session, she told AFP she was confident of finally standing on an Asian Games podium at her third attempt.

"It's so close," said Chanu, who was ninth in Incheon in 2014 and an agonising fourth three years ago in Hangzhou on her previous Asian Games appearances.

"I strongly feel that I will not let go of this chance," said Chanu, who will take part in the 49kg class on September 23 at the Nagoya-Aichi Games.

"Since I started weightlifting my aim has been to win an Asian Games medal," added Chanu, who is "riding on confidence" after the Commonwealth Games.

North Korea and China traditionally dominate women's weightlifting and Chanu admitted it was going to be hard to break their podium stranglehold.

"It is a strong field at weightlifting in the Asian Games but my preparation is good and I feel confident," she said.

Chanu, the youngest of six siblings, grew up in a Manipur village.

Her father, mother and two brothers played football and encouraged her to pursue sport despite the family's financial struggles.

"I am lucky to have come out of a sports family and my mother always encouraged me to take up sports as a career," said Chanu.

- Village to podium -

She chose weightlifting at 13 and has never looked back.

"People seldom come out of villages and make a career in sports.

"People in the village raised eyebrows at a girl going to a city and pursuing sport but I wanted to change this perception," she said.

"Tokyo 2020 changed everything and I became a known face in the village and in India. It is a huge thing," she said of winning Olympic silver.

Manipur weightlifter Kunjarani Devi, a two-time Commonwealth gold medallist, was Chanu's inspiration.

"I was clueless as to what sport I should pick but everyone knew about Kunjarani's story, of her struggles, of coming from a village to get many medals for India," said Chanu.

"I saw her on TV and started weightlifting but it was not easy with my mother being a housewife and father having a small government job."

The journey was tough. Food was a particular challenge, in a sport where women lift more than double their bodyweight.

"It was tough bringing up six children with limited resources.

"There were a lot of problems but my mother supported me at every step, from making me train to providing nutrition," said Chanu.

"I had milk just two times a week, but that did not deter me -- I wanted to prove that a girl hailing from a village can succeed."

- 'Ideal student' -

India's national weightlifting coach Vijay Sharma has worked with Chanu since 2014 and played a central role in her success.

Together they have celebrated the 2017 world title, Olympic silver and Commonwealth Games golds in 2018, 2022 and 2026.

"Training with him, I saw instant improvement in my technique and output," said Chanu, saying he had supported her "even in my lowest moments, like coming home broken without a medal".

Sharma called her his "ideal student".

"I always tell my other students to be like her, in terms of discipline and hard work," Sharma told AFP.

In a sport often hit by doping scandals, Chanu has never failed a drug test.

"Some athletes do take shortcuts to success but I advise youngsters to put in more work to get results," said Chanu.

"Doping gives a bad name to weightlifting and India."

B.Carter--ThChM