Mirabai Channu's historic silver medal performance and her bright smile was not the only thing that drew the attention of the audience, her Olympic ring-shaped gold earrings, a gift from her mother five years ago that she made selling her jewellery was also striking.
Mirabai's mother wished the earring would make her fortune shine. She didn't win in the Rio 2016 Games, but on Saturday, Sekhom Ongbi Tombi Lima's tears of joy couldn't stop since witnessing her daughters win.
Lima said at her home in Manipur, “I saw the earrings on TV. I gave them to her in 2016 before the Rio Olympics. I had made these with the gold lying with me and my savings so that her luck shines and she gets success.”
"I was in tears seeing it and also during the moment, she won the medal. Her father (Saikhom Kriti Meitei) was also in tears. Tears of joy. All her hard work has led to the success,” Lima said from her home in Manipur where several relatives and friends have gathered to see Mirabai creating history in Tokyo.
Mirabai ended India's 21-year wait for a weightlifting medal at the Olympics when a silver medal was in the women's 49kg category. 26-year-old Chanu, who outperformed Karnam Malleswari lifted a total of 202 kg (87 kg + 115 kg), a bronze medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Mirabai has three sisters and two more brothers.
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At Nongpok Kakching village, Chanu’s house around 25km from state capital Imphal, visitors have been flowing in since Friday despite the Covid imposed curfew.
Her mother said, 'She told us that she would win a gold medal or at least a medal. So everyone was waiting for this to happen. Many of our distant relatives had come last evening only. They stayed at our house for the night. Many came this morning and the people of the area also gathered. So we put it on the verandah and there were about 50 people in Tokyo to watch Mirabai play. Many people were also sitting in front of the courtyard. So it looked like a festival.
"A lot of journalists have also come. This is something we have never experienced,” Chanu’s mother said as Mirabai took blessings over a video call before the event.
Mirabai’s mother said, "She had told us she will win gold or at least a medal. So, everybody was waiting for it to happen. Many of our relatives who lived far away came last evening. They stayed overnight with us.”
"Many came this morning and the people of the locality also thronged. So, we brought out the television to the verandah and around 50 people were there to watch Mirabai in Tokyo. Many sat in the front courtyard. So, it was a kind of festival.”
Chanu’s cousin Aroshini said she rarely comes home because of training and so they have made a WhatsApp group to speak with each other and added, "This morning, she had a video call with all of us and she bowed down and sought blessings from her parents.”
Also Read: Tokyo Olympics 2020: Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu Clinches India’s First Medal, Silver In Women's 49kg
Mirabai called her parents and said ``blessed me to win a gold medal for the country, they gave their blessings. It was a touching moment.”