Updated July 24th, 2021 at 15:55 IST

Tokyo Olympics: Yogi Adityanath congratulates Mirabai Chanu on winning silver medal

Indian athlete Mirabai Chanu on Saturday created history as she became the first Indian weightlifter to win a silver medal at the Olympic Games.

Reported by: Vishal Tiwari
Image: PTI | Image:self
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Indian athlete Mirabai Chanu on Saturday created history as she became the first Indian weightlifter to win a silver medal at the Olympic Games. Chanu won the silver medal in the Women's 49 kg category, lifting 202 kgs. Chanu is receiving a flood of congratulations on social media for her incredible achievement. Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, congratulated the Manipur weightlifter after news of her silver-medal performance broke in India early this morning.

"Today, India's mother power has once again made the country proud on the global stage. Today at @Tokyo2020, @mirabai_chanu won a silver medal for her amazing skills, making the country proud. Hearty congratulations!" CM Yogi wrote on Twitter. 

Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Chanu for winning the first-ever medal for India at Tokyo 2020. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi also sent a congratulatory message to the Manipur athlete on the microblogging platform Twitter. Indian sports personalities, including famous cricketers, also took to social media to wish Chanu for her record-breaking feat. Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, and Ravichandran Ashwin are amongst the cricketers who sent wishes to Chanu. 

Mirabai wins silver medal

At the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Mirabai Chanu started the competition by lifting 84kg in her first attempt during the snatch event. Chanu's competitor Jourdan Delacruz from the USA lifted 83kg in her first attempt, however, the Indian lifter upped her ante to lift 87kg in her second attempt, while Delacruz in her second attempt lifted 86kg. World Champion Hoi Zhuihui topped the standings at the halfway mark after lifting 92kg in her two attempts. 

Both Chanu and Delacruz failed to lift 89 kg in their third attempt allowing the Chinese weightlifter to stay top of the table. Zhuihui made a new Olympic record in the snatch by lifting 94kg in her third and final lift. Mirabai Chanu finished the event with a total lift of 202 kg and bagged the silver medal.

Image: PTI
 

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Published July 24th, 2021 at 15:55 IST