Saikhom Mirabai Chanu reaches Tokyo, shooters on their way

TOKYO: Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, India's lone contestant in weightlifting and a top medal contender in women's 49kg, reached Tokyo on Friday and settled down in the Olympic Village.

Mirabai, who had a lengthy rehabilitation-cum-training camp in the USA, started from St Louis on Thursday afternoon and landed at the Narita international airport in Tokyo on Friday afternoon.

Mirabai, coach Vijay Sharma, and other support staff soon sent out, through the Sports Authority of India (SAI), photographs of them eating in the Dining Hall of the Games Village.

Mirabai, who will be competing in her second Olympics at Tokyo, has set a world record in clean and jerk at the Asian Championships in April. She is ranked No.2 in the Race to Tokyo list behind China's Hou Zhuhui, who has the best total of 213 kg (96 snatch, 117 clean & jerk). Mirabai has a season best of 205kg (86 snatch, 119 clean & jerk).

Meanwhile, the 15-member Indian shooting contingent reached Amsterdam on its way to Tokyo from Zagreb, Croatia, where it had a camp since middle of June. It is scheduled to reach Tokyo early on Saturday morning.

The boxing squad is also on its way to Tokyo from Assisi in Italy where it had a lengthy training camp. The nine boxers, coaches and support staff too are expected to reach Tokyo on Saturday morning. IANS

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