NAGOYA: PV Sindhu on a badminton court. Smriti Mandhana with a bat in hand. Manu Bhaker inside a shooting range. Vinesh Phogat wearing that familiar singlet. When you sit down to talk about India's modern sporting heroes, it's impossible not to talk about the women who have drawn — and indeed reshaped — the country's sporting contours.
On Wednesday, Mirabai Chanu, another modern Indian sporting giant, further established herself among the pantheon of greats by adding an Asian Games medal — her first — to an already imposing trophy haul. But there are multiple reasons to cherish this medal.
It has been a painful journey since the Olympic silver in Tokyo in 2021. Injuries have been an unwelcome friend, and pain a common byproduct. She ate, slept and breathed pain. At times, struggled to even stand, let alone lift weights. From head to toe, everything would radiate pain; it has even forced her to miss tournaments.
Yet, the 32-year-old, the oldest of the seven-member field in her event (49kg category), fought those big battles with a strong mind. Even though every lift is an ordeal — including at the Nagoya City Trade and Industrial Centre on Wednesday — she has always been blessed with a bloody-mindedness to just get it done irrespective of the adversity. At the Olympics when she won silver in 2021, she was suffering from menstrual cramps.
While the immediate reward for her work was the shiny metal disc — she was only too happy to keep clutching it way past the medal ceremony — her body tells the story of quite a struggle. The wrists are sore, her ankles don't hold and the load on her knees is beginning to tell.
Maintaining weight at this age is gruesome when water turns into fat. “It was very difficult for me to maintain 48kg and it was very difficult for me to maintain 49kg," she said post her silver show. "But this medal was very important to me. I had been preparing for this medal for many years. So I couldn't have given up.”
This could be her last competition in 49kg too. The weight category in Los Angeles starts from 53kg. Though the qualifications have not started as yet, she has this in mind. For her, 53kg will not be a problem. She had already sought nutritionists’ help and is following their advice to keep fit and continue until the Olympics.
“When I am in training, I keep 1.5 kg over 49,” she said. “I keep it at 50.5kg. It is very difficult to maintain it. I have to do weight training as well. I have to take a lot of load.” She is doing this while following a strict diet. “We don't have to gain weight to reach 53kg,” she said. “We have to get the muscle ready first. If I suddenly gain weight, my performance could go down and I could also lose strength. Along with strength, we are also thinking of increasing weight. So we have to take in less fat to get more strength in our muscles. We have to maintain it. What to eat? What else to eat? What else do I have to change in my diet? If we get 53, then our strength can go. We have to control our weight with strength.”
Not winning a medal at the Asian Games started to haunt her so much that she had to recalibrate her world. Her first Asian Games was in 2014. “I didn't have a good performance then,” she said. “I missed 2018 because of a back injury. I got injured in 2023 and lost a medal. I asked myself, 'What happened? What is happening to me at every Asian Games? I have everything. I have a gold medal. I am a world champion. I have an Olympic medal. I am a three-time gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games. Why am I losing the Asian Games medal?'
"These questions kept coming to me. I have tried my best. Then I thought, 'whatever happens, I will do my best.'”
After she had the double of a Worlds gold (Anaheim; 2017) and Olympic silver (Tokyo; 2021), she had already become one of the most illustrious athletes in the country. It's why she's one of the most widely tracked Indian athletes right now. Like all
elite sportspersons, she feels that pressure to deliver. “There is pressure,” she said. “I also have confidence.”
This is her new side. When she started, she would be reluctant to even speak. Now, she knows where to emphasise. She has a reason for that. “The whole world has kept hope for me. 'Mirabai will get a medal'. Everyone has told me. On the one hand, I feel strong. There is strength. People think so positively of me. They have prayed so much for me. That gives me more confidence. There is also pressure. What if something is left by mistake? What will I do? Everyone is thinking that I will get a medal. If I don't get it, what will I do?”
With the Asian Games over, the LA28 would be her next biggest challenge. The qualification process will start from December. She will be ready when it starts.