Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu defends federation and coach after Olympics flop show

Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, who had put up a highly disappointing performance at the Rio Olympics, has defended the federation and her coach after they came under criticism in the wake of her flop show.

Mirabai failed to lift her entry weight of 104kg in her first attempt in clean and jerk and her subsequent two attempts also returned as ‘no-lift’ to become one of two lifters who did not finish (DNF) the 48kg category event.

The Manipuri lifter said that she’s not yet finished and will do better in future.

“...after hearing so many things in social and print media regarding my coaches and federation, I m really very shocked ... nobody was there to support me before Olympic Games but now when I miss my medal in Olympics, everybody is blaming federation and my coach Vijay Sharma who are responsible for my performance,” she said in a statement released by Indian Weightlifting Federation.

“...because of them I’m able to reach this level after Karnam Malleswari and I assure all of you that I am not finish(ed) I will give my best in further event,” she added.

The 21-year-old Mirabai, who had travelled to Rio without her personal coach Kunjarani Devi, could not even match the performance she had given during the selection trials at Patiala in June.

In the trials, Mirabai had bettered her own record by 1kg in snatch, lifting 85kg to equal the record of Kunjarani (107kg) in clean and jerk. In the process, Mirabai had broken Kunjarani’s total record of 190kg with a combined lift of 192kg.