Mirabai Chanu gifts signed jersey to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju after CWG glory

Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu was felicitated by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju after winning her third Commonwealth Games gold medal in Glasgow. The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist created records in the 48kg category and received a grand welcome in New Delhi

New Delhi:  Indian star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu Saikhom and the chief national weightlifting coach paid a visit to Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju and gifted him a jersey signed by the Indian weightlifting contingent after winning her third gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist dominated the 48kg women’s field to win gold. She set a Commonwealth Games record in the snatch by lifting 85 kg, then bombed another Games record of 105 kg in the clean & jerk to complete a hat-trick of Commonwealth golds for the Indian.

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The union minister shared the glimpses of the meeting on X, with a caption, “Welcome home, dear @mirabai_chanu, after a glorious victory in the Commonwealth Games, Glasgow! She made India proud once again by winning the gold medal in weightlifting! Thanks for presenting a T-shirt signed by all the weightlifting players.”

Overall, this was her fourth CWG medal, having won silver in the 48kg category at Glasgow 2014 before striking gold at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. Moreover, she became the first female lifter in the world to win three consecutive gold medals at CWG.

Mirabai received a rousing reception on her return from Glasgow on Sunday, as hundreds of supporters gathered at the Indira Gandhi International Airport to celebrate the contingent’s successful campaign. Speaking after landing in New Delhi, the Manipuri star expressed pride in representing both her state and the country.

“Coming from Manipur, I feel really proud that I have done something good for my country,” she told reporters.

Among those who arrived were Olympic medallist Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, heavyweight weightlifter Lovepreet Singh and Gyaneshwari Yadav, all of whom were greeted by fans, family members and well-wishers after helping India enjoy another memorable outing at the Commonwealth Games.