- Saturday, April 20, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
WHILE speculation was abuzz that the silver of MIRABAI Chanu, the 26-year-old weightlifter from India, won in the 49-kilogram category on the inaugural day of the Tokyo Olympics, could turn into gold as the Zhihui Hou of China, who won the gold, had been asked to undertake a doping test, subsequent reports said the reports were not true.
Chanu, who hails from the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, lifted a combined weight of 202 kg and fell short by just eight kg from China’s Zhihui Hou, who won the gold by creating a new record.
ANI news agency had said citing sources that Zhihui has reportedly been asked by the anti-doping authorities to stay back for a dope test and if she fails to clear the test, the Indian athlete will be awarded the gold.
A source close to the development over Zhizhi told ANI news agency, “She has been asked to stay in Tokyo and the test will be done. The test is definitely happening.”
The rules of the Games say that if an athlete fails to clear the dope test, the one who has won the silver medal would be awarded the gold.
But on July 30, ANI rectified its previous report to say “The gold medal in the weightlifting 49 kg category will stay with China’s Zhihui Hou, and Mirabai Chanu will remain the silver medallist. Earlier, ANI had reported that Zhihui Hou will be tested by anti-doping authorities and if she failed the test, then Chanu stands a chance to be awarded gold. But there has been no testing and it was an inadvertent error while reporting the news. It stands clarified that Hou was not taken for an anti-doping test”.
Chanu is the second Indian weightlifter to clinch an Olympic medal after Karnam Malleswari who had won a bronze in the 2000 edition in Sydney and was the country’s sole medallist that year. She is also the second Olympic medallist from the state of Manipur after boxer Mary Kom.
Chanu returned to India on Monday following her impressive show but chaotic scenes were witnessed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi as people crowded to get a glimpse of the athlete. Social-distancing norms being followed in times of the Covid crisis were also flouted as the supporters jostled to greet Chanu.
The Olympic medallist, who was wearing a face shield and mask and flanked by security personnel, however, was touched.
“Happy to be back here in amidst so much love and support. Thank You so much,” she tweeted after landing.
Happy to be back here in amidst so much love and support. Thank You so much 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/ttjGkkxlDu
— Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) July 26, 2021
Inside the airport, Chanu was greeted with chants of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai‘ by the staff present there and felicitated by officials of the Sports Authority of India among others.
Once out, the young star was mobbed by the waiting media, leading to a melee and had to be completely enveloped by security personnel as she made her way through.
She is scheduled to meet Union sports minister Anurag Thakur later on Monday. Her focus for the past five years also kept her away from her family and she said he spent just five days with them during this period.
(With PTI inputs)
