From a Correspondent
New Delhi, Dec 8: India’s latest youth icon and World Weightlifting Championship gold medalist Saikhom Mirabai Chanu on Friday said that she was about to leave sports following criticism for her failure to win a medal at the Rio Olympics.
Chanu said that she was really depressed after the Olympics.
“It took me a lot of time to get over the disappointment. I even thought of giving up the sport and stop training. The comments in social media, the criticism against my coach really hurt me.” said Chanu.
The girl from Manipur is now became the second Indian after Karm Malleswari to win a World Championship gold medal at the global level competiton.
She clinched gold for India at World Weightlifting Championship in 22 years. She created a new world record of 194kg, 85kg stch and 109kg clean-and-jerk at Aheim, USA last month.
She also spoke about the doping issue. “Every week, I am tested for doping by DA and WADA takes my samples twice a month. After reaching Las Vegas, my blood and urine samples were taken and again it was collected during the championship also, so it was collected twice in a month,” Chanu recalled talking to the reporters.
Meanwhile, president of Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) Birendra Prasad Baishya said that Chanu’s performance shows how India is committed towards making weightlifting a dope-free sport.
“At a time when top countries such as Chi, Turkey, Bulgaria and Kazakhstan are banned for doping, Chanu showed how to win with honour,” Baishya said.