Mirabai Chanu (Image credit: KITG 2026) RAIPUR: Mirabai Chanu famously celebrated her Olympic silver in Tokyo with pizza.However, he has to stay away from it these days as he prepares for the Asian Games later this year. Not just pizza, but local Manipuri cuisine is off her menu as she has to follow a strict diet plan to compete in the 48 kg category.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!“For the 48kg category, I have to maintain around 49-49.5kg during training, which requires even more discipline than before,” Chanu said on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Khelo India Tribal Games here on Wednesday.
Watch
Jay Shah: Kapil Dev deserves more credit for the 1983 World Cup triumph “What we eat and how much we eat — everything has to be watched. We have to choose the right ratio of protein and carbohydrates and reduce the portions accordingly.”Although she won an Olympic medal in the 49kg category, she has been competing in the 48kg category since last year and will continue to do so at the Asian Championships and Commonwealth Games to be held in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2. However, he will then have to move up to 49kg for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan on September 19.It will be tough, but she takes confidence from her record-breaking show at the national round, where she lifted a total of 205kg.“Earlier I lifted a total of 205 kg. After many years, this comeback gives me a lot of confidence and self-belief that I can perform the same in the upcoming competitions,” said the lifter from Manipur.Her first test now will be the Asian Championship in Ahmedabad, which was postponed to May after the recent crisis in West Asia, and she believes she can continue the same performance there.But it’s not always easy. Missing out on the podium at the Paris Olympics by just two kilograms was especially heartbreaking. But support from her mother, her long-time coach Vijay Sharma and the rest of the coaching staff made things easy for her.“There are still days when training doesn’t go well. In those moments, I talk to myself. If today was good, how can I make it better? If it was bad, I try to understand what went wrong and tell myself I’ll be ready again tomorrow. That’s how I keep my mindset,” said Chanu, who these days trains at the Weightlifting Warriors Academy in Modi Nagar, UP, like the 5 kids.Despite the heartbreak in Paris, she is not thinking about it and still believes that even participating in the Games remains a great success. This is also why he considers initiatives like the Khelo India Tribal Games so important.“There are many talented players in the villages who want to come and do something for the country, their state and their families, but they face several challenges. Lack of equipment, family problems and limited opportunities. Because of this, many dreams remain unfulfilled,” Chanu said.“But with platforms like Khelo India Tribal Games, things are changing. It gives them motivation and belief that they too can succeed.”Only time will tell if anyone from here will one day make it big like Chanu, but for now one can only celebrate their performances as they hope to gain attention and be selected for further training.
