Weightifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu opened India’s medal tally at the Tokyo Olympics after securing a Silver Medal in the 49kg category event. Since her victory, congratulations have been pouring in from all sides.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah heaped praises on her following her Silver Medal finish. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated her as well.
https://twitter.com/AmitShah/status/1418825970639941637?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwUttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath praised her as well, hailing her victory as a win for Maa Bharti.
https://twitter.com/myogiadityanath/status/1418835519761371138?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwFollowing her victory, old tweets of Mirabai Chanu where she had expressed her support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi has since then gone viral. In April 2020, she had tweeted that she stand by the country and India will win the fight against Covid-19. She had tagged Narendra Modi in her tweet.
https://twitter.com/mirabai_chanu/status/1246834511670726657?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwIn another tweet the same day, Mirabai Chanu said that she would light candles for 9 minutes at 9 pm that day, heeding the Prime Minister’s call. Narendra Modi was tagged in that tweet as well.
https://twitter.com/mirabai_chanu/status/1246724312373092352?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwTwo days earlier, she had thanked the Prime Minister for interacting with athletes.
https://twitter.com/mirabai_chanu/status/1245993408738418688?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwFollowing the Common Wealth Games in 2018, she had expressed her gratitude towards Narendra Modi for his encouragement.
https://twitter.com/mirabai_chanu/status/999626644422905856?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwA tweet of her celebrating Diwali has also gone viral.
https://twitter.com/mirabai_chanu/status/1327957871074545665?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwApart from the tweets mentioned above, there are numerous other occasions on which the Olympic Silver Medalist expressed her support towards the Prime Minister and other Ministers in the Union Cabinet.
Mirabai Chanu lifted 84kg and 87kg successfully in the snatch event but failed to lift 89kg as she was placed in the second spot behind China’s HOU Zhihu, who lifted 94kg to create an Olympic record. The Indian lifter successfully 110kg and 115kg in the clean and jerk category, however, she could not complete her 117kg lift.