Standing up to the expectation of the people, Mirabai Chanu went on to win the silver medal for the country. She won the silver in the women’s 49kg weight category! This turned out to be the highlight of the Tokyo Olympics day-1. Thus, with this medal, she became the first Indian to win a medal at this edition of the Olympics.
Her bout was pretty much difficult with the Chinese opponent. The Chinese weightlifter Hou Zhihui created a big margin in the scratch round. Still, Mirabai put in all her effort. But, she could not get the highest and also missed the Olympic Record by just a few seconds. The lone wolf of India in weightlifting showed one of her best performances. The disappointment she had received in Rio de Janerio did not repeat itself and India’s golden girl ended up bringing the silver.
She becomes the second weightlifter to bring an Olympic medal to the country. Having done this only after Karnam Malleshwari. Malleshwari had won the bronze medal back in 2000.
Mirabai got a special earring in the form of the Olympic rings made. These were like a good luck charm for her. Her mother got it made for her by selling her own jewelry!
Her efforts have truly paid off and the Manipur girl has made the entire country proud!
Other Sports At Tokyo Olympics Day-1
There were many other sports too that took place on day-1. Though archery and shooting brought a little disappointment, the efforts of the athletes were commendable. Dipika Kumari and other archers got off early. However, the men’s hockey team won its game against New Zealand by 2-3 goals.
Saurabh Chaudhary qualified for the finals with the topmost score. But, he could not do the same in the finals and was placed 7th. Though there are still many events that the 19-yr old shooter has to participate in. Also, the table tennis girls, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Manika Batra qualified to the second round in Wome’s singles.
With a medal on the very first day, India’s hopes are high. It will be exciting and thrilling to watch the Indian athletes stand on the podium. And we can look forward to the Indian National Anthem being played on one of these days!
For more Olympic Updates stay tuned to Akashbaani!
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