They walked in with grace, wearing a soft smile on their face. Snatch, clean and jerk! As they added gold to their name. They bowed down with modesty, waved at the hostile crowd and walked out with that same smile on their face.
In a course of just 24 hours, the word 'Chanu' turned into a household name in India. And the reason? Well, two Manipuri athletes - Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and Sanjita Chanu - acquired top podium in the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2018 at Gold Coast in Australia.
On an early Thursday morning in India, the nation woke up to what would only be described as an overwhelming news. Tri colours flew high and with grace as Manipur's Mirabai scripted six records in her six attempts combining snatch and clean and jerk to lift the gold in women's 48 kg category.
Mirabai, who scripted her first record in the 2018 event by successfully lifting 80 kg in snatch, penned her third record in the next five minutes by lifting 86 kg in her third attempt. The lift put her ahead of her competitors as they headed in for the 'clean and jerk'. In clean and jerk, she once again etched her name in history books as she lifted 103 kg to break Commonwealth Games record and then registered her personal best in her final attempt as Chanu lifted 110 kg.
The 23-year-old Imphal girl had won silver in the 2014 edition of Commonwealth Games. Two years later, she scripted national record by lifting a total of 192 kg in the selection trials for Rio Olympics. With high hopes rested on her shoulders, Mirabai left for Brazil, but was stupefied in the grandest stage of them all as she attempted a below-par 82 in snatch and failed to clear clean and jerk in all her trails.
Rising from the heartbreak of her Olympics debacle, Mirabai won the Weightlifting World Championships last year, becoming the first Indian lifter since Karnam Malleshwari in 1995 to achieve so.
While India still lived in the hungover phase of Mirabai's historic feat at Gold Coast, Sanjita struck gold exactly 24 hours later as the nation once again opened their eyes to yet another glory. Another Manipuri girl bagged top honour in weightlifting, this time in the women's 53 kg category.
After successfully lifting 80 kg in her very first attempt, Sanjita scripted Commonwealth Games history when she attempted 84 kg in her third opportunity in snatch. In clean and jerk, it, however, wasn't an easy start for the Manipuri as she failed to lift 112 kg. Although, in her third attempt she successfully attempted 108 kg to assure herself of the top-podium finish. This was her second gold in Commonwealth Games, her first came in 2014 edition when she finished atop in 48 kg category.
While one may wonder as to whether the two share a relation with 'Chanu' being a common part of their name, well the answer is no. The word in Manipuri is assigned to unmarried women with it signifying 'Miss'. However, the sport does bring the two together. In fact, Mirabai and Sanjita competed in the same category in the 2014 edition of CWG and it was Sanjita who had bagged the gold medal, while Mirabai settled for silver.
Sanjita, however, had a lot of ups and downs on her way to Gold Coast glory. The Glasgow CWG gold medalist saw a dip in her form as she failed to qualify for the Olympics. The winner of two Commonwealth Championships, before CWG 2014, was overlooked for the Arjuna Award.
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