Chanu from a small village in Manipur spent his childhood in absence. It was a big deal to get plenty of food for the family. It was going well by working hard. In those days there was a big discussion of weightlifting champion Kunjarani Devi in the village. Actually, Kunjarani also belongs to Manipur. Belonging to an ordinary family, this player made many records. Chanu grew up listening to their stories. Once father went to Imphal for some work. Chanu was with him.
There was a weight lifting competition. Women carrying loads in the ground and crowds making noise all around. The view was amazing. Then, pointing to a woman, the father said, "This is a virgin." Chanu found the game interesting. Asked with great innocence, can I also lift weight like them? Papa laughed. The question constantly kept arising in the mind of little Chanu, how can a woman lift so much weight? She was just 13 years old then. The class had passed five. One day I spoke to my father, I also want to participate in the weight lifting sport. Papa postponed saying that it takes a lot of training. Chanu's dream of becoming a lifter had already settled.
The father was not educated, but understood the importance of sports. All the girls of Manipur had earned name in sports. So when the daughter caught stubbornness, they thought, let's give her a chance. There was a training center 60 km from the village. That was where Trenng started in 2007. The performance was good from the beginning. On the very first day of training, he was told that to lift weights, attention has to be given to exercise and eating. The coach gave him a diet chart. Besides fruits and vegetables, it was necessary to eat milk and chicken daily. The senses flew away after seeing the diet chart. Chicken in the house was seldom made throughout the year. The situation at home was not such that all these food and drink expenses could be borne. Chanu kept trending at home without saying anything to anyone. She traveled 60 km daily and reached the center. After two hours of exercise she used to practice weight lifting. When I returned in the evening, I would feel hungry. She would sleep after eating what was made for everyone. Due to not getting enough diet, health started deteriorating. Chanu says, we did not even have enough money to get a glass of milk every day. I had decided that no matter what happens, I will not leave the game.
There was a round when the family asked them to leave the game. But Chanu did not listen. She stood In the first year of Trenng, he got a chance to participate in the local competition. By then everyone had agreed that this girl would play well. Due to sports, there was very less time for studies. Somehow passed 10th. The breakthrough came in 2011, when Chanu won the gold medal in the South Asian Junior Games. Now the whole country started recognizing him. The dream of becoming a virgin goddess had become a reality. Sports quota also got a job in the railway. Things started changing. He won the title of Best Weightlifter at the Junior National Championships in 2013. Returning after winning the medal, there was a big celebration in the village. After the Junior Championships, Bari was at the Commonwealth Games. The new coach said that the competition will be tough, and work hard. In 2014, Chanu won the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, UK. After this, he got fresh and strong. Chanu says, "The life of the player is different. After every game for us a new challenge comes. Our working hours are not fixed. More hard work has to be done after every match. '
The year 2016 brought the biggest career goal. It was the turn of Rio Olympics. She did not want to miss a chance. Stayed away from home for several months. Prepared with full vigor. Chanu says it was my dream to go to the Olympics. I also qualified but could not win the medal. This caused a lot of disappointment. Questions also arose after a disappointing performance in Rio. Some people said that the preparation was not done properly. Chanu focused on finding the lapse rather than answering people, so as to better prepare for the next goal. Took training under the leadership of coach Vijay Sharma for a year after the Olympics. Chanu has won the gold medal in the World Championship last week by lifting 194 kg. The whole nation saw the scene of that moment full of pride. The scene, when Chanu was standing on the podium with a tricolor in Anaheim city of America and tears were flowing from his eyes. Chanu says very politely - It is a matter of pride for the country to win the medal. They were tears of my joy.
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